We know the saying that it takes a thief to catch a thief, but this is a story where it took a police camera to catch bribe-taking policemen. The spy cameras installed in Colombo to nab errant motorists, criminals and others snapped up two traffic policemen taking bribes at different locations.
One policeman was positioned at the Liberty roundabout in Kollupitiya and the other at the entrance to the city on the Kelaniya bridge. In one camera grab, the officer at Kollupitiya is clearly seen taking money from a three wheeler driver for a minor traffic offence while two foreigners in the passenger seat looked on in shock.
The other officer at the Kelaniya Bridge, however, appeared to target only trucks heading for the outstations and several times money exchanged hands in a single day. The two policemen were later summoned by their top officer, Senior Deputy Inspector General Asoka Wijeytilleke, shown the video and interdicted.
DIG Wijeytilleke later warned traffic police officers that if such bribe taking was allowed to continue, the people would lose trust in the Police Department.
Sundaytimes: