COLOMBO: Two customs officials arrested and remanded in connection with the largest ever recorded bribe nabbed by the Bribery Commission, were ordered to be released on bail by Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya yesterday.
Wasantha Wimalasiri and Upali Wickremasinghe were ordered to be released on a cash bail of Rs.200,000 with two sureties of Rs.5 million each. The Chief Magistrate further barred the customs officers from leaving the country and further ordered them to appear before the Bribery Commission every Sunday. The suspects were severely warned not to interfere with the witnesses in the case. Further magisterial inquiry was fixed for May 31.
President’s Counsel Anil Silva appearing on behalf of the suspects moved Court that his clients be released on any bail condition the Court may deems fit since they were in remand custody, a period up to 35 days.
On October, 2015, the Bribery Commission had arrested three customs officials who allegedly involved in soliciting and accepting a bribe of Rs.125 million from a spare parts importer to evade custom investigation into relevant consignment and not to pay tax payment.
