Govt brought anti-corruption Bill not to catch thieves but to imprison whistle blowers: Eran

SJB Parliamentarian Eran Wickramaratne said that the government has brought a new legislation called Anti –corruption Bill is aimed at not to prevent  bribery and corruption but more to make the informants - the whistle blowers about the thieves afraid and silence them.

"The new anti-corruption Bill proposed by the government enshrines that a person to be fined one million rupees and imprisoned for 10 years, if the information given is found to be false," MP Wickramaratne said. 

Addressing the media at the opposition leader's office in Colombo yesterday, he spoke further said that Section 119 of the Anti-Corruption Act proposed by the President envisages prosecution of the person, if an information given about corruption is proved to be false.

This criminalizes so-called "false complaints" and "creates a culture that discourages complaints" by scaring people from coming forward to complain against those who are engaged in bribery and corruption in the country. It can be considered as a ploy to silence the social activists called whistleblowers against corruption, the MP stressed. 

"People often ask whether the SJB supports the government at this critical moment. We as a responsible Opposition who would form a government with a mandate, are constantly supporting to build the country and the people, but not the government. But the government is not ready to listen to the progressive proposals presented by the opposition for the country," the MP said. 

Alleging that the government not only rejected the proposals brought by the opposition to streamline the process of governance in the country, MP Wickramarante said that the government's intention is clear by submitting counter-bills to the parliament to dilute proposals made by Opposition SJB.

Mr. Wikramaratne explained that the government's aim of the government is not to prevent bribery, corruption and theft, but to frighten and punish those who provide information about corruption.