1. Brief Overview of Corruption in
Sri Lanka
by Asanga Abeyagoonesekera
by Asanga Abeyagoonesekera
Source: Island, January 8, 2014

2. Global Corruption Perception Index
2011 - 2012
2011
Annual Global Corruption Perception Index 2011
Sri Lanka was placed at the 86th
position among
183 countries.
2012
Annual Global Corruption Perception Index 2012 Sri
Lanka is placed in the 79th position among 176
countries.
Sri Lanka placed 91st
in Global
Corruption Perception Index (2013)

3. “Among the South Asian countries,
Sri Lanka ranks second above India,
Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Only
Bhutan (31) has fared better than Sri
Lanka. In the Asia Pacific region Sri
Lanka is ranked at number nine.”
Source: http://www.ft.lk/2013/12/04/sri-lanka-down-12-places-in-corruption-perception-index/

4. Example of corruption of high level
government Officials
“Case against Homagama Judge: Further report from Bribery
Commission tomorrow “
The Bribery Commission will tomorrow file a further report before
the Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya in connection over the
arrest of the Homagama District Judge Sunil Abeysinghe and his
Security Officer Police Constable Mahinda Kithsiri. They have been
remanded until tomorrow.The Bribery Commission officials arrested
them for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs. 300,000 from a plaintiff in a
case pending before the Homagama District Court promising to give
the order in her favour. ”
Source :http://www.sundaytimes.lk/130609/news/case-against-homagama
-judge-further-report-from-bribery-commission-tomorrow-47911.html

5. Examples of Low level Corruption of
Government Officials
Sri Lanka police arrest 4 police officers for taking bribe on a
murder
• Nov 20, Colombo: Sri Lanka police today arrested four police
officers including an Officer-In-Charge (OIC) for taking a bribe to
hide evidence on a murder case.
Source:http://www.colombopage.com/archive_13B/Nov21_1384978498CH.php
“Payagala Traffic OIC remanded on bribery charge”
Payagala Traffic Officer-in-Charge, Sub Inspector Kodagoda
Weeratunga, arrested by Bribery sleuths on Saturday morning for
soliciting Rs. 10,000 from a trishaw driver in the area, was
remanded till January 17
Source : http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=95384

6. Examples of Low level corruption
allegations
“The Labour Officer attached to District Labour
Office – Matale had solicited Rs.300,000/= from the
complainant alleging non payment of EPF
remittances on behalf of the employees attached to
the complainant’s garage. The Labour Officer was
taken in to custody by the Investigating Officers of
the CIABC on 18/09/2013 while accepting
Rs.150,000/= as an advance.”
Source: http://www.ciaboc.gov.lk/web/index.php?
option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=34&Itemid=2&lang=en

7. “Transparency International Sri
Lanka believes there is a need to
strengthen the anti–corruption
mechanisms in Sri Lanka.”
- S. Ranugge, Executive Director of TISL
Source:http://www.transparency.org/

8. 1. Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and
Corruption
2. Public Services Commission
3. Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE)
Anti-corruption mechanisms
in Sri Lanka

9. • The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption was established
by Act No. 19 of 1994 to provide the establishment of a permanent Commission to
Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption and to direct the institution of
prosecutions for offences under the Bribery Act and the Declaration of Assets and
Liabilities Law, No. 1 of 1975.
• The first Commission was commenced its activities from 15th December 1994.
• The Commission consist of three members, two of whom shall be retired Judges of
the Supreme Court or of the Court of Appeal and one of whom shall be a person
with wide experience relating to the investigation of crime and law enforcement.
• Every member of the Commission hold office for a period of five years and shall not
be eligible for re-appointment.
Commission to Investigate
Allegations of Bribery and
Corruption

10. Public Services Commission
“To Establish and Promote an Efficient, Disciplined
and Contented Public Service to Serve the Public
with Fairness, Transparency and Consistency”
The commission is established in order to alleviate
corruption and bribery in the Public sector in order
to establish a transparent public service.
Source: http://www.psc.gov.lk/web/index.php?lang=en

11. Committee on Public
Enterprises
(COPE)
A Parliamentary Select Committee
to examine the accounts of
Public Corporations and of any Business Undertaking
vested in the Government
Source: http://www.parliament.lk/en/component/committees/commitee/showCommittee?id=9&type=committee&Itemid=106
“The COPE, the parliamentary watchdog committee on financial
performances at state bodies namely boards, bureaus,
commissions and authorities, has furnished its interim report
spotlighting financial malpractices and irregularities at 32
institutions which came under scrutiny so far this year.”
(2012)
Source:http://www.dailymirror.lk/opinion/172-opinion/23001-is-there-any-hope-in-cope.html

12. •“The Declaration of Assets and Liabilities Law
The purpose of this law (consisting of Acts No. 1 of 1975, No. 29 of 1985 and
amending Act No. 74 of 1988) was to monitor the acquisition of wealth by public
servants, politicians and others through bribery and corruption.”
•Prevention of Money Laundering Act
This act (No. 5 of 2006) makes it an offence to engage in financial transactions to hide
the identity or source of money generated from illegal activities as defined in section
38 of the act. The illegal activities include bribery.
•Financial Transactions Reporting Act
This act (No. 6 of 2006) should be read together with the above Prevention of Money
Laundering Act. This legislation provides that the institution accepting money or
valuables should verify the identity of the customer.
•The Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (Ombudsman)
The office of the ombudsman was established under the Second Republican
Constitution to offer the public with an opportunity to have their injustices and
disputes resolved in an economical and expeditious manner.
•United Nations Convention against Corruption
The United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) was adopted by the UN
General Assembly on 31 October 2003 and came into force on 14 December 2005. As of
November 2007 it had been signed by 140 nations and as of September 2008 ratified
by 125. Sri Lanka signed the convention on 15 March 2004 and ratified it on 31 March
2004.”
Source:
http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/journals-magazines/article2/0903/bribery-corrup

13. I paid a bribe.lk
Most Venerable Suganadhama Thero of the Vidyalankara Pirivana
launching the website on 9th Nov 2013
“Sri Lanka launches a new website to tackle
bribery and corruption”
Source: http://www.news360.lk

14. Diri Saviya Foundation
16
Non governmental not for profit. I have dedicated Diri Saviya foundation to my father who
believed in creating a better life for all Sri Lankans. He fought against corruption and to create
Democratic nation.
Diri Saviya foundation focuses on its vision to create a harmonious society with
dignity by empowering our people with the right tools.
At Diri Saviya we are committed to improve our society.

15. Recommendations
• Empowerment of individuals to report on bribery tools, such as Ipaidabribe.com
customized into both Sinhalese and Tamil
• Person to Person (P2P) Bribery can be minimized by increasing the salaries of civil
servants who work in a bureaucratic environment.
• Minimize rigid regulations, administrative practices and bureaucratic environment.
• Empower and educate people on the mechanism available for dealing with bribery
and corruption.
• Strengthen the system available for corruption and bribery
• Reward acts of exposure by persons in order to encourage transparency within the
system.