Chief Incumbent arrested for planning to sell elephant tusks

The Panadura Walana Anti-Corruption Unit has arrested a Chief Incumbent of a temple who allegedly planned to sell a pair of elephant tusks offered by a devotee to the temple for Rs.5 million.

The police, after receiving information that a person was trying to sell a pair of elephant tusks, arrested a man in Pitabeddara, Matara recently with the tusks.

The police said that during questioning of the arrested suspect, information was revealed that the pair of tusks were offered to a temple in the Pitabeddara area by a devotee.

Accordingly, a senior police officer said that the 65-year-old monk was arrested after investigating the revelation.

Police say that the pair of tusks, which had been offered to the temple five years ago, were planned to be sold by the suspect through his associates.