Remanded for soliciting bribe to enrol child in school

Thursday, 15 January 2026 00:04 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By T. Farook Thajudeen

A suspect produced before a Colombo Magistrate was remanded until 20 January for allegedly soliciting a bribe of Rs. 300,000 and accepting Rs. 200,000 from the parents of a child to admit the complainant’s child to Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) produced the suspect, Ruwan Chaminda Soysa of Anderson Flats, Narahenpita, Colombo 5, before Court and informed Colombo Additional Magistrate Lahiru Silva that the suspect had assured the child’s parents that he could make arrangements to enrol their eldest child in Grade 1 at Visakha Vidyalaya for the year 2026, in return for Rs. 300,000.

The parents had initially paid Rs. 100,000 to the suspect and subsequently lodged a complaint with the CIABOC.

CIABOC officers arrested the suspect while he was allegedly accepting the balance Rs. 200,000 near the Police Field Force Unit at Thimbirigasyaya, along Havelock Road, Colombo.

Counsel Anton Senanayake, appearing with Prabashini Gunaratna and Bertrum Medis for the suspect, told Vourt that the complainant had requested the suspect to find an address close to Visakha Vidyalaya to be used as the complainant’s residential address for the purpose of admitting the child to the school.

Counsel submitted that, as part of that arrangement, the complainant had paid the remaining amount to the suspect at the time he was arrested by CIABOC officers. He argued that the suspect had not committed an offence under the Bribery Act and moved the Court to grant bail.