Four Senior Customs Officials Sentenced to 35 Years for Massive Bribery Scheme

In a landmark ruling, the Colombo High Court has sentenced four former senior Customs officials to 35 years of rigorous imprisonment for their involvement in the largest bribery case investigated by Sri Lanka’s Bribery Commission. The officials—former Assistant Customs Superintendent Upali Gunaratne Perera, and Customs Superintendents Wasantha Wimalaweera, Upali Senarath Wickremasinghe, and Sudeera Parakrama Jinadasa—were found guilty of soliciting a bribe of Rs.150 million and accepting Rs.125 million to facilitate the release of a consignment of spare parts valued at Rs.1,500 million for the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) while evading duty. The indictments were filed by the Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption. In addition to their lengthy prison sentences, High Court Judge Namal Balalle imposed a fine of Rs.125 million on each of the convicted officials, marking a significant step in the fight against corruption in the country.