The principal of the Labuduwa Siridhamma College, Galle has been arrested by the Bribery Commission while accepting a bribe of Rs 300,000 to enroll a child to a Grade 1 class.
The suspect was arrested while soliciting the bribe from a father seeking to enroll his son into the school. The child’s brother is also said to be a student of the same school.
However, the principal had demanded Rs 300,000 in order to enroll the student.
The Minister of Education, during a recent press conference, had requested the public to inform regarding any individuals requesting for money in order to enroll students into schools.
The father of the student, who had remembered this statement, contacted and informed Ada Derana, who in turn informed the Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena.
As a result, the minister contacted the Commission to Investigate Allegation of Bribery or Corruption, which set into motion an operation to apprehend the suspect in the act.
A female officer of the Bribery Commission accompanied the child’s father to the school and as they handed over the cash to the principal, he was placed under arrest.
The suspect has currently been taken to the Galle Police Station.
