A development officer and a driver attached to the Office of the Registrar of Pesticides have been arrested for soliciting and accepting a bribe of Rs. 10,000 in connection with the registration of a business.

The arrests were made by officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), following a complaint lodged by a resident of Bandarawela.

According to the complaint, the bribe was allegedly requested to cover fuel expenses for a vehicle that was to be used by officials to visit the complainant’s residence. The visit was intended for testing a pesticide, fungicide, and plant growth-promoting product manufactured by the complainant as part of the business registration process.

CIABOC officers arrested the suspects at the complainant’s residence while they were accepting the bribe.

The suspects are expected to be produced before the Bandarawela Magistrate’s Court.