Labour Officer sentenced to six years in prison over Rs. 15,000 bribery case

A labour officer attached to the District Labour Office in Haputale was sentenced to six years in prison over a Rs. 15,000 bribery case.

The sentence was issued by Colombo High Court Judge Mohamed Mihail on April 23, 2026, after the accused was found guilty of all three charges filed against him.

The accused, Amudamana Arachchige Nimal Rohana Somawardhana, had served as a labour officer at the District Labour Office in Haputale.

The case was filed following a written complaint received by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) on September 2, 2009.

According to the complaint, the labour officer had solicited and accepted Rs. 15,000 as a bribe from a businessman who was operating a poultry farm in the Weerasekaragama area of Wellawaya.

After considering the evidence presented before the court, the Colombo High Court ruled that the charges against the accused had been proven.

The verdict was delivered before Court No. 06 of the Colombo High Court under case number HCB 2116/2015.

The court sentenced the accused to six years’ imprisonment for each charge, with the sentences to run concurrently.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs. 5,000 for each charge and ordered him to pay an additional penalty equal to the Rs. 15,000 bribe.

Assistant Director General Thanuja Bandara appeared for the prosecution on behalf of CIABOC.

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