‘Divi Neguma’ officer gets 20 years RI, loses civil rights for soliciting sexual bribe

‘Divi Neguma’ officer gets 20 years RI, loses civil rights for soliciting sexual bribe

May 9, 2025   02:22 pm

A ‘Divi Neguma’ development officer has been sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment by the Colombo High Court for soliciting a sexual bribe from a 30-year-old mother of three in exchange for facilitating a government subsidy for her child’s kidney surgery.

Delivering the verdict, Colombo High Court Judge Aditya Patabendige stated that such conduct by a public official was "utterly unacceptable" and represented a grave betrayal of public trust. The judge, however, ordered that the 20-year sentence be served within 10 years.

The court further ruled that the defendant would lose his civil rights, including the right to vote, and also imposed a fine of Rs. 20,000.

The incident dates back to March 31, 2015, when the accused was apprehended by officers of the Bribery Commission. He had taken the woman to a hotel in the Tissamaharama area with the intent of soliciting sexual favors in return for financial aid from the government for her seven-year-old son’s kidney operation.

Following the arrest, the Bribery Commission filed indictments against the suspect in the Colombo High Court. After a lengthy trial, the judge ruled that the prosecution had proven the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

In delivering the sentence, Judge Patabendige underscored the seriousness of the offense, stating that a lenient punishment would be inappropriate given the circumstances and the abuse of power involved.

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