Colombo High Court Judge Amal Ranaraja has acquitted the Crime OIC of Norochcholai Police from alleged charges of soliciting and accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 from two individuals in connection with a raid conducted at a house in Norochcholai, where a suspect named Aiyas was arrested for trafficking and peddling cannabis.
Aiyas was tried in court and found guilty of the offense, resulting in the imposition of a fine.
Subsequently, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) initiated an investigation against the OIC following a complaint lodged by the ASP of Norochcholai.
The complaint alleged that the OIC had solicited and accepted a bribe of Rs 50,000 from Sulaiha Bibi and Mohamed Hakeem. An anonymous complaint received by the ASP also prompted an investigation into the OIC's alleged solicitation and acceptance of bribes from witnesses.
After recording statements from the witnesses, the ASP forwarded the case dossier to the CIABOC for further action.
The Commission brought this case to trial at the Colombo High Court. Following a lengthy trial, High Court Judge Amal Ranaraja acquitted the OIC of Norochcholai Police of all charges. The judge upheld the submissions made by defense counsel Lal Kularatne, who argued that the prosecution had failed to prove the four charges leveled against the accused beyond a reasonable doubt.
