Hulannuge Beat Forest Officer arrested over alleged Rs. 30,000 bribe
A Beat Forest Officer serving at the Hulannuge Beat Forest Office was arrested after allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs. 30,000 and a bottle of arrack to avoid legal action against a resident accused of cultivating land belonging to the Nelumwewayaya reserve.
According to the complaint, the resident from the Hulannuge area had four acres of land held separately by him and his wife, and it is alleged that cultivation had taken place on a portion of land allocated to the Nelumwewayaya reserve. The officer had reportedly demanded the bribe to refrain from taking legal steps over this matter.
Following these allegations, officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) carried out an operation at about 1.15 p.m. on January 12, 2026 and arrested the suspect inside the Hulannuge Beat Forest Office.
The arrested officer is scheduled to be produced before the Magistrate’s Court, and further investigations are underway.
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