by Lalaji Manawadu – The Island
Ambalangoda: At the monthly meeting of the Ambalangoda UC, presided over by the Chairman, M. W. Aruna Pradeep, it was unanimously decided to withdraw the complaint made against a tax collector who had allegedly misappropriated nearly Rs. 150,000 from his collection, as his wife had returned the money along with the fine.
The members considered a letter sent by his wife requesting them to withdraw the charge on sympathetic grounds as her husband was suffering from a heart ailment and as she had already remedied the damage caused to the UC. UC Secretary N. A. Wimalasiri was entrusted to withdraw the case accordingly.
Chairman Aruna Pradeep, who is a lawyer, said that although the complaint was withdrawn, the Magistrate would not be able to allow bail as the charge could not be withdrawn. “We would be able to withdraw the charge regarding the misappropriation of cash but the other charge of producing take documents cannot be withdrawn,” he explained.
UC Secretary N. A. Wimalasiri ,responding to queries by the members revealed that he told the police and the Court that the UC was ready to withdraw the charge of misappropriation of cash collected as taxes, acting on the instructions given to him by the Chairman.
The Chairman also said that as the charge was a serious one and he should make an application to Court to obtain bail as the Magistrate had no judicial powers allow.