President responsible for inactivity of Bribery Commission - JVP Leader

President Maithripala Sirisena bears direct responsibility for the inactiveness of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said today.

By Sandun Jayawardana
Speaking during the Committee Stage debate of the Budget where the Expenditure Heads of the President, Bribery Commission and 23 other institutions are being taken up, Mr Dissanayake said that the President owes an explanation to the country and to Parliament as to why the previous Director General of the Bribery Commission was removed. “He should provide an explanation as to why this was done, but he is yet to explain,” he stressed.

The JVP Leader said that after 2015, the Voice Against Corruption organization had made many complaints to CIABOC against members of the previous Government, including the family members the former President and his associates. Complaints were also made after 2015 against members of the current Government including the Prime Minister and Ministers. Though many investigations have been completed, the Commission is not initiating legal action against any of the politicians and other higher-ups, he remarked, adding that action has only been filed against low level officials such as office assistants, police constables and grama niladharis.

He claimed the reason for this is that the Bribery Commission is now being directed by a political hand.

“Why should this Parliament allocate funds for a commission when a political hand decides which cases will be filed, withdrawn or set aside?” Mr Dissanayake queried.