The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption recently reported on its website the arrest of four individuals who were impersonating officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), caught accepting a bribe of Rs 10 million.
The report, titled “Four suspects impersonating CID officers arrested on allegations of accepting Rs 10 million as bribe,” was published on May 8, 2023.
The CIABOC website story went on to further state ” Based on a complaint made by a housekeeper of a house in Kollupitiya, officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption arrested three men and one woman at around 3.30 p.m. on 29.04.2024.”
The CIABOC website further stated “The arrestees, impersonating CID officers, have searched the house and taken Rs. 12 million and 3,500 Dollars (mentioning an investigation against the complainant). At a later time, they have also taken the servant’s Passport (an Indian) and have demanded Rs. 40 million over the telephone to support the complainant in the investigation and to return the passport. The amount has been later reduced to Rs. 35 million. The suspects were arrested inside the said house while accepting Rs. 10 million as the first part of the amount.”
However, it was later revealed that one of the individuals arrested is actually a Sub Inspector attached to the Fraud Bureau. This officer, a key figure in the scheme, had raised suspicions among his colleagues after displaying a sudden influx of wealth, including the purchase of an expensive mobile phone.
Based on the CIABOC’s published story, they are however yet to confirm the names of the said individuals and or if they were all members attached to the Fraud Bureau.
Even though the CIABOC’s published story only specifies impersonation, the details provided highlight robbery, extortion and accepting of a bribe which should prevent them from seeking bail until the said case is over.
Reliable sources in the knowledge of the arrested said Sub Inspector, suggest that authorities need to investigate this matter further, exploring further as he is said to be a part of an organized criminal syndicate who have been operating for quite some time in the past in such a manner.
The said Sub Inspector is believed to also be a mastermind in suppressing and delaying the investigations of several other high-profile individuals and their reported cases of corruption and fraud.
