The Mawathagama police have arrested a police sub-inspector and a police sergeant for accepting a liter of petrol as a bribe to avoid issuing a ticket. The incident occurred due to the presence of a statue of Buddha and a replica of a couple of elephant tusks near the windshield of a three-wheeler.
According to the Motor Vehicle Ordinance, it is prohibited to obstruct the windshield of a vehicle with any material. Officers in the traffic department are authorized to enforce this law. In this case, an innocent three-wheeler driver was apprehended and bribed with a liter of petrol to avoid the penalty.
The incident took place on the 17th when the sub-inspector and sergeant, assigned to the Mawathagama police station for special duties, stopped the three-wheeler driver at the Matibokka roadblock. They allegedly intimidated the driver by pointing out the law and accepted a liter of petrol as a bribe. The three-wheeler driver recorded the incident on his mobile phone and shared it on Facebook, bringing the misconduct to public attention.
Following the information shared on social media, the Mawathagama Police initiated an investigation based on instructions from the Kurunegala Divisional Police Chief, Senior Superintendent of Police Mr. AMU Chandana. The Assistant Superintendent of Police in Mawathagama took further action to suspend the two officers involved. The arrests were made as a result of the investigation, highlighting the commitment to address corruption within the police force.