Weak prosecution case clears police OIC charged for bribery

3 April 2024 10:39 pm - 8 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Colombo, April 3 (Daily Mirror) - The Colombo High Court Judge Navaratne Marasinghe today acquitted the former OIC of Mount-Lavinia Special Crime Investigation Bureau (SCIB) Inspector of Police Samaraweera Gunarathne from all the charges of bribery as the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.

The Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption indicted the Inspector of Police Samaraweera Gunarathne for soliciting and accepting a sum of Rs. 20,000 from a woman in order to expedite the investigation into complaint made by one of her friends at the SCIB of Mount Lavinia Police Station.

According to the prosecution, after receiving the complaint from the complainant, a police team organized a raid and arrested IP Gunarathne while he was accepting a bribe from the complainant in front of CCTV cameras of a private Bank in Dehiwala. According to the Prosecution, the accused police officer was arrested on June 20, 2016. The prosecution produced the CCTV footage to prove the accused taking money from the complainant.

The defence of the accused was that he gave a sum of Rs. 25,000 as an advance to find a house to the complainant as she is a broker. The complainant during her evidence admitted that she is a broker but denied that she took an advance payment from the accused in order to find a house for him. The complainant also admitted that prior to the date of arrest she and her uncle, a retired police officer, went to the DIG of Mount Lavinia Police Division to make a complaint against the accused as the accused delayed the process of the Investigation.

The defence called several witnesses to prove the charges against the accused were fabricated as the accused scolded the complainant and her uncle. Having considered the evidence of the prosecution and the defence, Colombo High Court Judge Navaratne Marasinghe decided to acquit and discharge the accused as the prosecution had failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt. Senior Counsel Darshana Kuruppu with Buddhika Thilakarathna, Sahan Weerasinghe, Sudarasha Silva and Tharushi Gamage appeared for the accused.

Comments - 8

Concerned Citizen Wednesday, 03 April 2024 11:25 PM

Sad situation Sri Lanka when the public cannot take action even when the police officer is caught accepting a bribe ! If he paid for an advance the police officer has to show evidence as to on what basis he accepted the money without any documentation

Jude Thursday, 04 April 2024 12:28 AM

Lankan legal system very weak, and the prosecutors find it very hard get convictions!!

Jude Thursday, 04 April 2024 12:30 AM

The politicians don't want to change or upgrade the laws because mostly politicians and their henchmen accused of crimes.

Ram Thursday, 04 April 2024 03:01 AM

An element of doubt is created by the defence and that helped the acquittal.

Joshua Thursday, 04 April 2024 06:07 AM

Oh the famous method to escape the law.

Labby Thursday, 04 April 2024 08:27 AM

No wonder they say "justice is a fool". The judge simply went by the story of the accused. In this case, in my lay opinion, the judge himself is a fool.

Nagakanya Sindhupala Thursday, 04 April 2024 11:47 AM

It is reasonable as there are many known cases with photos for kappam and complained by foreign missions for asking bribes are still getting Pin Padi and ruling all!

Cherath Thursday, 04 April 2024 04:34 PM

The bottom truth in all such cases is - the lawyers will help you get away with bribes extortion, murder, rape and anything else, as long as they get the right money. The justice, righteousness and fairness takes a very back seat! What a miserable profession when performed by miserable heartless scum. How can they sleep at night?

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Weak prosecution case clears police OIC charged for bribery

Comments - 8

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