The Officer-in-Charge of the Crimes Division of the Gampaha Headquarters Police was on Friday (26) remanded until 6 January by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court after being arrested while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs. 250,000.

The arrest was carried out by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) following a complaint made by a businessman from the Ja-Ela–Dadugama area.

According to investigators, the suspect had allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs. 300,000 along with three-quarters of a gold sovereign in return for refraining from taking legal action against the businessman, who is accused of purchasing stolen gold jewellery.

The police officer was apprehended during a raid while accepting Rs. 250,000 of the demanded amount.

The suspect was produced before Colombo Additional Magistrate Lahiru Warushavithana on Friday, where CIABOC informed court that investigations are still ongoing. The court subsequently ordered that the suspect be remanded until 6 January.

Appearing on behalf of the suspect, defence counsel informed court that the officer’s two children are due to sit for the GCE Advanced Level and Ordinary Level examinations this year, and stated that a bail application would be filed on a later date.