Former Sri Lankan transport inspector sentenced to four years in prison

Ranjith Kotupitiya, a former mobile inspector for the National Transport Commission (NTC), has been sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment following a bribery conviction. The Colombo High Court imposed the sentence after Kotupitiya was found guilty on four charges filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

The incident occurred around March 18, 2015, when NTC officers discovered a semi-luxury private bus operating between Colombo and Bibile was carrying 13 passengers over its permitted capacity. Kotupitiya, who was attached to the NTC’s Narahenpita head office, demanded a Rs. 20,000 bribe from the bus owner to avoid legal action. The funds were reportedly deposited into the bank account of another mobile inspector working with the accused.

Judge Mohamed Mihal ordered that the 16-year sentence be served concurrently, resulting in an effective term of four years. Additionally, the court imposed a fine of Rs. 20,000; failure to pay will result in an extra eight months of imprisonment.