A top excise officer likely to land in hot soup over corruption

Colombo (Daily Mirror) - The government is reportedly considering decisive action against a high-ranking officer within the Excise Department following allegations of soliciting bribes from liquor manufacturing companies, a source said . 

The source close to the Finance Ministry have disclosed that the implicated officer is accused of seeking cash inducements in connection with the suspension or revocation of liquor manufacturing licenses.  

According to an informed insider, the accused official’s questionable practices involve capitalizing on the closure of one company’s operations. In instances of license suspension, the officer allegedly demands cash bribes from other suppliers poised to benefit from the situation. Also, he is said to seek bribes from the company facing license suspension, promising to facilitate the revocation of the suspension.  

In response to these serious allegations, the government is actively contemplating potential actions to address the misconduct. One significant step under consideration is the examination of properties purportedly acquired with ill-gotten gains linked to the alleged bribery schemes.