July 30, 2010: The Nuwara Eliya Magistrate's Court today sentenced an Irish couple who pleaded guilty to the charges of stealing genes from plants indigenous to Sri Lanka.
The sentence was issued after the Irish couple and another individual was produced before the Nuwara Eliya Magistrate's Court today.
The Irish couple was ordered to pay a fine of Rs 85,000 while the other individual was ordered to pay a fine of Rs 68,000.
The couple was arrested on alleged charges of stealing genes of 150 to 200 indigenous plants, from various parts of the island.
The fines were dealt out, after the couple pleaded guilty.
According to the deputy park warden of Hortan Plains, Manoj Widyaratne, the couple were arrested while collecting samples from the reserve.
“Investigations have revealed that the couple had collected samples from the Pollonaruwa, Anuradhapura, Sigiriya, Lahugala, Arugam Bay, Siyambalanduwa, Sinharaja and Hakgala areas we well,” he added.
