A forest field assistant attached to the Wellawaya Range Forest Office has been arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) over alleged bribery.
The suspect had allegedly obtained money from an individual on several occasions in exchange for allowing the person to continue cultivating approximately three acres of State land in the Devalamankada area, where chena cultivation was being carried out after trees had been illegally felled, without legal action being instituted.
The suspect had subsequently demanded a monthly payment of Rs. 10,000 to allow the cultivation activities to continue, according to the complaint.
Acting on a complaint lodged by the individual, CIABOC arrested the forest field assistant yesterday (08) on allegations of accepting Rs. 10,000 for the month of October.
The suspect is scheduled to be produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court.
