A court assistant has been remanded until Sept. 22 over allegations that he accepted a Rs. 750,000 bribe from the wife of former deputy minister Sarana Gunawardena, promising to secure a reduced sentence for her husband in an ongoing bribery case.
Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga Bodaragama issued the order after considering facts presented by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).
The suspect, identified as G.A. Charith Kumara, was arrested following an investigation launched into a complaint made by a Colombo High Court judge.
CIABOC told court that the suspect had contacted the judge by telephone and attempted to discuss a case. The judge had questioned his authority to discuss court cases and refused to engage in such a conversation.
The suspect allegedly told the judge that the matter could not be discussed in court and suggested meeting separately to discuss it.
CIABOC said investigations are also underway into an officer attached to the Attanagalla court and a Colombo High Court book binder over their alleged involvement in the incident.
Gunawardena, a former deputy minister and former chairman of the Development Lotteries Board, was sentenced in June after being convicted on 18 charges relating to the misuse of vehicles belonging to the board. The Colombo High Court ordered the sentence to be served over a period of 16 years. (Newswire)