An Inspector of Police (IP) and a Constable have been sentenced to 28 years rigorous imprisonment by the Colombo High Court, after they were found guilty of soliciting a bribe of Rs 10,000.
Colombo High Court Judge Shashi Mahendran delivered the sentence today and also ordered the defendants to pay a fine of Rs 20,000 each in addition to the prison sentence.
The two police officers demanded a bribe of Rs 10,000 to refrain from taking legal action against a suspect connected to an incident of illegal possession of venison in 2009, when they were attached to the Aralaganwila Police.
They were arrested by officers of the Bribery Commission while accepting the aforementioned amount as a bribe while the commission subsequently filed a case before the Colombo High Court.
Following a lengthy trial which lasted for over 10 years, the court declared that the charges leveled against the accused have been proven beyond a reasonable doubt and therefore sentenced them to 28 year RI.
