The Court informed that action would be taken to indict the principal witness of the bribery case HCB/112/2021, for giving contradictory evidence on material points. The case was filed against five Excise Officers of the Balangoda Excise Office.

The Colombo High Court, on 26.08.2024, delivered a two year’s rigorous imprisonment, suspended for 15 years to Pradeep Upul Kumara, a resident of Badalkumbura Dodangahadura, for offering a bribe of Rs. 5,000/- to a public servant for abstaining from taking legal action against him for the offence he committed in Ethimale.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption instituted legal action against Mr. Sarana Gunawardena, a former Chairman of the Development Lotteries Board, in the year 2022 for directly or indirectly abusing the powers of his position to induce employees of the Development Lotteries Board to illegally release Rs. 1,980,000/- to the landlord as the advance payment of the house the Board rented out in Madiwela and thereby commiting the offence of corruption under Section 70 of the Bribery Act, No. 11 of 1954 as amended by Act No. 20 of 1994 and Act No. 22 of 2018.

Based on a complaint lodged by a female resident of Killinochchi, Investigation Officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption arrested two Revenue Inspectors of Karachchi Pradeshiya Sabha at 11.18 a.m. on 03.09.2024 for accepting Rs. 60,000/- as a bribe. The officers have told the complainant that her house was constructed without the approval of the Pradeshiya Sabha and, therefore, will be taking legal action or demolishing it after investigations. Stating so have solicited Rs. 350,000/- as a bribe to prevent such consequences after communicating the matter to the Technical Officer. The amount has been brought down to Rs. 100,000/ and then to Rs. 60,000/-. The suspects were arrested before the complainant’s house while accepting the bribe and are to be produced before the Killinochchi Magistrate’s Court.

Road Safety and Traffic Management of the Traffic Division of Sri Lanka Police - A programme on preventing bribery and corruption was conducted on 13.08.2024 for 73 officers following the 22nd Advance Traffic Management Course. The resource contribution was provided by Mr. Sampath Arachchige (Prevention Officer) and Mrs. Madhuka Ruwanthi (Prevention Officer). The participants were made aware of the concept of integrity, the efficiency, productivity, responsibility and accountability of a government officer, the Anti-Corruption Act, No. 09 of 2023, and the new legal provisions regarding bribery, corruption and unlawful accumulation of assets, and the questions they have in that regard.

The programme aimed at gathering views and suggestions from the youth to formulate the “National Anti-Corruption Action Plan 2025-2029” was conducted on 23rd August 2024 at Ramadia Ranmal Holiday Resort from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. under the funding of the United Nations Development Programme. Views and suggestions were gathered from youth activists and representatives of the university community, and about 50 young girls and boys attended the programme. The programme commenced under the aegis of Commissioner III of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption Chethiya Gunasekara, PC and Deputy Director General Mrs. Ruwini Wickramasighe. Assistant Director General Ms. Thanuja Bandara and Prevention Officers Mrs. Vimukthi Jayasuriya and Ms. Eranga Madhushi handled the programme.

The Central Province Programme of provincial-level programmes conducted to gather views and suggestions to formulate the “National Anti-Corruption Action Plan 2025-2029” was held on 02nd August 2024 at hotel The Kandyan Art At Hills from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. under the funding of the United Nations Development Programme. Views and suggestions were gathered from the general public, including the public sector, private sector, civil organizations, mass media, community-based organizations, elected representatives, youth, children and religious organizations, and 52 individuals attended it. Mrs. Subhashini Siriwardhana, Deputy Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption and Prevention Officers Mrs. Vimukthi Jayasuriya and Ms. Eranga Madhushi handled the programme.

Based on a complaint made by a resident of Yatadolawatta, Matugama, Investigation Officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption arrested a Police Sergeant (first suspect) for soliciting a bribe of Rs. 20,000/- from the complainant and accepting it through a crematorium labourer (second suspect) as a gratification for returning the complainant’s motor bicycle without producing before the court. The first suspect was arrested at 7.55 p.m. on 29.08.2024 inside Matugama Magistrate’s Court security post, and the second suspect was arrested at 7.35 p.m. on the same day near the Matugama Police Station.

The Colombo High Court sentenced former Minister of Disaster Management A. H. M. Fowzie on 27.08.2024 to two years of imprisonment and suspended it for 10 years. The sentence was given for using a Toyota Land Cruiser worth Rs. 19,500,000 belonging to the Disaster Management Center for his personal activities and for obtaining Rs. 1,073,334.93 from the Ministry for its maintenance.

The Confidential and Intelligence Investigation Unit of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption conducted an investigation into the vehicles that did not undergo customs clearance. Accordingly, three vehicles taken into custody by that investigation were produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate and Magistrate Thilina Gamage ordered Sri Lanka Customs on 23.08.2024 to take them into their custody for further investigation.

Based on a complaint made by a resident in Pinnawala, Investigation Officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption arrested an officer of the Sabaragamuwa Road Passenger Transport Board at 10.10 a.m. on 22.08.2024 on allegations of soliciting and accepting Rs. 60,000/- for giving the recommendation to change a time slot allocated to run the complainant’s bus on the Balangoda route. The arrest was made inside the Balangoda Bus Station office.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption has already started gathering views and suggestions to formulate the “National Anti-Corruption Action Plan- 2025-2029” to combat bribery and corruption in Sri Lanka. It has also commenced its other phase, gathering views and suggestions at the national level.