News
Police anti-graft team revamped
Financial irregularities that affect national security, health and the environment, illegal acquisition of money, abuse of power, and money laundering are among the crimes that will be probed by the new Financial Crimes Investigation Division.
It will function under the Inspector General of Police and will also probe corruption and malpractice in mega development projects, ministers decided on Wednesday. The new division will have countrywide jurisdiction, Public Order Minister John Amaratunga said.
Senior Deputy Inspector General Pujitha Jayasundera is to head the new Division which will function under the supervision of the IGP.
The IGP has tasked the division with investigating large-scale financial crimes, corruption and large scale unauthorised projects as well as criminal activities that have been committed using public funds and public properties.
The division will also probe the financial irregularities that have affected national security, the health and environment sectors, the illegal acquisition of monies and abuse of power, money laundering, transferring of funds to terrorists and carrying out illegal financial transactions.
The division will also undertake investigations into cases which have been initiated by the Secretariat that is being set up to investigate large scale corruption and malpractices that reportedly have taken place under the previous government. Legal action will be taken where necessary.
The establishment of the Anti-Corruption Secretariat was approved by the Cabinet this week on a proposal made by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.