Bribery Commission spreads its tentacles

by Ranil Wiajayapala

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption in its bid to combat bribery and corrupt practices in the country has arrested 84 government officials including provincial and local level politicians after conducting 71 successful raids this year, its Commissioner Dr. Jayantha Wickremaratne told the Sunday Observer.

He said the highest number of arrests had been made in the Police Department where 22 police officers were caught in the bribery net this year.

The second highest number of arrests was in the Forest Department with the arrest of 13 forest officers following 10 raids. The Investigation officers also arrested nine personnel including a Deputy Mayor, Pradeshiya Sabha Chairmen and Pradeshiya Sabha members in Local Government authorities countrywide. Six officers including one Divisional Secretary and five Grama Sevakas are among those arrested by the Commission.

In 2011 the Commission arrested 52 public officials after conducting 47 successful raids within the six months in operation from May 16, 2011.

Dr. Wickremaratne said that despite the arrest of the highest number of personnel from the Police Department the Commission receives the highest number of complaints against officers of the Education Department pertaining to school admissions.

"Though we receive the highest number of complaints against officers of the Education Department, many of the complaints it receives are anonymous petitions and calls. Therefore, the Commission faces difficulties to proceed with investigations without a contact person to act against the relevant officials", he said.

Dr. Wickremaratne said that the Commissioner refers most of these petitions to the Education Ministry in keeping with the agreement they reached with the former Education Ministry Secretary as the Education Ministry has its own internal mechanism to conduct investigations on these cases. The present Commission has investigated the highest number of cases. "The Commission has received 1,264 complaints so far this year and it has to study 2,162 cases including the remaining cases from the previous year. The Commission has completed inquiries into 851 cases", he said.

The Commission is now identifying the clauses in the Acts relating to Bribery and Corruption that need to be amended to further facilitate the Commission to take more effective action to combat bribery and corruption in the country.