High Court Judge Ranga Srinath Abeywickrama Dissanayake assumed office as the new Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (CIABOC) on 10 January 2025 following the appointment H. E. the President made on 08 January 2025. This appointment has been made in terms of the powers vested in the President by Section 17 (1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, No. 9 of 2023.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption conducted a Corruption Prevention Programme on 27.12.2023 for field and office-based officers of the Sabaragamuwa Road Passenger Transport Authority with the prime aim of empowering public service officers to eliminate bribery and corruption in government institutions and foster a clean public service. The programme was held at Hotel Kethumathi, and Prevention Officers of the Commission, Mr. Shammi Srilal and Mrs. Eranga Madushi delivered the lectures here.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption conducted a Corruption Prevention Programme on 23.12.2023 for around 75 Government Officers with the prime aim of empowering public service officers to eliminate bribery and corruption in government institutions and foster a clean public service. The programme was held at the Tangalle Urban Council, and Prevention Officers of the Commission, Mrs. Wimukthi Jayasuriya and Mrs Udeshika Jayasekara delivered the lectures of the programme which went on for about 7 hours.

After the enactment of the Anti-Corruption Act No. 9 of 2023, repealing the Bribery Act No. 11 of 1954, Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption Act No. 19 of 1994 and the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities Law No. 1 of 1975 in September 2023, the Commission has filed 75 cases during the period from 26.03.2024 to 31.12.2024 as follows under this Act.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption conducted a Corruption Prevention Programme on 12.12.2024 for around 100 Police Officers with the prime aim of empowering public service officers to eliminate bribery and corruption in government institutions and foster a clean public service. The programme was held at the Pahalagama Police Training College, and Prevention Officers of the Commission, Mr Shammi Srilal and Mrs Eranga Madushi delivered the lectures here.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption commenced duties for the 2025 New Year after hoisting the national flag and singing the national anthem at 8.30 a.m. today (01.01.2025). The Director General of the Commission addressed the gathering first and emphasized the need for the contribution and commitment of all officers to achieve the massive task that has been assigned to the Commission by the Anti-Corruption Act.
All officers then joined with the live telecast of the “Clean Sri Lanka” project launching and gave the oath of public service simultaneously with the live telecast.

A Corruption Prevention Programme was conducted for all 50 Veterinary Surgeons of the Department of Animal Production and Health (Central Province) to raise awareness of allegations of bribery and corruption. The programme was held on 19th December 2024 at the Animal Husbandry Training Center, Gatambe, and Prevention Officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, Mrs. J. L. A. Udeshika Madhubashini and Mr. Shammi Srilal were the resource persons for this programme. The participants were made aware of what bribery and corruption are, their repercussions and measures taken to prevent them, the concept of integrity and of the Anti-Corruption Act, and finally discussed the issues they have in that regard.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption conducted a Corruption Prevention Programme on 18.12.2024 for around 75 Prison Sergeants with the prime aim of empowering public service officers to eliminate bribery and corruption in government institutions and foster a clean public service. The programme was held at the Center for Research and Training in Correction at Angunakolapelessa Prison, and Prevention Officers of the Commission, Mrs. N. Wimukthi Jayasooriya and Mr. Sampath Arachchige delivered lectures during this programme which went on for about six hours.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption is conducting a series of Corruption Prevention Programmes for officers of the Water Supply and Drainage Board and has so far held three programmes of the series. These programmes were held in their head office auditorium in Ratmalana during September and November 2024. During these programmes, the attendees were made aware of the Anti-Corruption Act, No. 9 of 2023, measures that should be taken to prevent bribery and corruption and of the repercussions of bribery and corruption. Prevention Officers, Mr. Sampath Arachchige, Mrs. J. L. A. Udeshika Madhubashini and Mrs. Ishani Wijesuriya were the resource persons for the conducted programmes.

Based on a complaint made by a resident of Thambalagamuwa, Investigation Officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption arrested a Police Sergeant of the Community Police Unit on allegations of soliciting and accepting a bribe of Rs.5,000/. The Sergeant, serving attached to the Miscellaneous Complaints Investigation Unit of the Trincomalee Police Station has demanded this bribe to investigate the complaint regarding a financial dispute the complainant made with the Trincomalee Police Station and to facilitate him to take the money back. The arrest was made at around 2.13 p.m. on 23.12.2024 in front of the officers’ mess.

Based on a complaint made by a person in Madiwela, Investigation Officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption Commission arrested two businessmen of Maharagama and Gothatuwa area on allegations of soliciting and accepting a bribe of Rs. 9 million. According to the complainant, the bribe was in exchange for expediting the compensation with regard to the land in Torrington Avenue which the Urban Development Authority acquired from the complainant’s aunt. The arrest was made at around 3.08 p.m. on 27.12.2024 in front of a shop in Pita Kotte.

On 25th March 2022, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption filed a case in the Colombo High Court against an Administrative Grama Niladhari attached to Deraniyagala Divisional Secretariat for accepting a bribe from the complainant in exchange for issuing a license to transport timber, and the High Court Judge, accepting the preliminary objection raised by the defendant party, ordered to discharge the accused on 26th July 2023. The Commission preferred a revision application to the Court of Appeal against the said High Court order.