In 2022, the Bribery Commission filed indictments against Wimalasena Rubasinhe, former Chairman of the National Rupavahini Corporation and Delwakkada Liyanage Chandrapala, former Director General of the Corporation, for commissioning the act of corruption by offering the National Rupahaini Corporation transmission in the Middle East and European countries via satellite technology to“Nova Vission Satellite”, an Italy-based company, without following the procurement procedure or signing a legal Agreement and thereby causing a loss of Rs. 3,454,279.37 to the government.

This Commission continuously receives complaints regarding persons who have not returned the movable and immovable property the Government had given them for use while they were holding positions or office of the Government.

After considering the submissions of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, which the Commission made on an information its Confidential and Intelligence Information Unit received, Colombo Chief Magistrate Thilina Gamage, on 06.08.2024, ordered the present owners of 05 Land Cruisers and 02 Mitsubishi Monteros to handover them to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption before 13.08.2024 and ordered the Director General of Customs or his representative to appear before the Court on 23.08.2024 to receive those vehicles for purposes of recovering the Customs duty that should have paid for them.

After considering the facts the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption submitted based on an information received by its Confidential and Intelligence Investigation Unit, on 06.08.2024, Colombo Chief Magistrate Thilina Gamage ordered the present owners of 07 vehicles to hand them to Bribery Commission before 13.08.2024 enabling the taking of their custody into Sri Lanka Customs.

In terms of Section 89 of the Anti-Corruption Act, every candidate of elections should submit his Declaration of Assets and Liabilities to the Commissioner of Elections together with the nomination papers. In terms of Subsection 82(2) of this Act, such persons are required to make the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities of the relevant year up to the date of declaring the election date.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption and the University Grants Commission had a special discussion on 15th July 2024 to discuss matters on educating and empowering the university community on combatting bribery and corruption and integrity. This fruitful discussion took place at the Mini Auditorium of the Commission.

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.

Based on a complaint made by a resident in Uswetakeiyawa, Investigation Officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption arrested a Police Sergeant attached to Mahabage Police Traffic Division at 2.42 p.m. on 02.08.2024 on allegations of soliciting and accepting a bribe of Rs. 150,000/= (hundred and fifty thousand rupees). According to the complainant, the Sergeant has told him that his name is found in the Yukthiya Operation list as an “Ice” seller and has solicited the bribe promising to remove the name from the list, stop regular checking of his house, and make the environment for him to stay after that without trouble. The Sergeant was arrested in the street before the Mahabage Court car park.

In terms of the provisions stipulated in the Anti-Corruption Act, No. 09 of 2023, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption took action to publish the Declarations of Assets and Liabilities of officers and persons required to make the Declaration for the year 2023/2024 on the official website of the Commission.

Based on a complaint made by a woman in Trincomalee, Investigation Officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption arrested a Quazi Judge in Matale at 2.45 p.m. on 30.07.2024. The complainant has submitted the necessary documents to the Quazi Judge to file a case demanding a compensation of Rs. 80,000/- for maintenance and disgrace, and the Quazi Judge has solicited Rs. 50,000/- from her to do the needful to get the compensation. The suspect was arrested inside the office he is operating at his residence in Warakamura on allegations of accepting Rs. 10,000/- from the solicited amount.

Based on a complaint made by a person in Bibila, Medagama area, Investigation Officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption arrested a Police Constable attached to Bibila, Medagama Police Station at around 4.15 p.m. on 30.07.2024. The Constable has solicited and accepted Rs. 3,000 (Three Thousand rupees) from the complainant, promising to report a smaller amount of toddy to the court than the amount seized, mention nothing to the court about arrested suspects’ previous offences, and give the necessary support required for him in the future. The suspect was arrested inside the complainant’s boutique at Medagama Public Market on allegations of soliciting and accepting a bribe.

Based on a complaint made by a person residing in Colombo 15, Investigation Officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption arrested a Grama Nildhari of Colombo Divisional Secretariat at 4.15 p.m. on 23.07.2024 for allegedly soliciting and accepting a bribe of Rs. 40,000/- to issue the probable age certificate required for the complainant to change his name in the Birth Certificate, recommend the application he intends to submit to get a house under the Urban Regeneration Project of the Urban development Authority and issue a certificate confirming his residence in the division. The arrest was made inside his office at a flat in Modara.