Revisit History Before Launching National Action Plan For Combating Bribery & Corruption
Chandra Jayaratne
Dear Mr. President Maithripala Sirsena,
An Important Note of Caution: To be Aware of the Historical Outcomes: Prior to the Launch of the National Action Plan for Combating Bribery and Corruption
I note that you will be the Chief Guest at the “Warrant of Integrity: The Launch of the National Action Plan for Combating Bribery and Corruption”, scheduled to be held on the 18th of March 2019, at the Shangr-La Ball Room.
I believe it is my duty as citizen activist committed to and championing transparency and good governance, to sound a note of caution, in bringing to your notice and awareness, the duly reported historical outcomes of achievement of the Bribery and Corruption Commission over the last 10 years. I am at this stage unaware, whether the National Action Plan to be launched will highlight the information to be shared with you in this letter.
I believe this information, obtained directly from the Bribery and Corruption Commission, by filing a Right to Information request, will permit you to review the National Action Plan for Combating Bribery and Corruption, being aware the correct background perspectives. I also believe that the information herein provided will enable you, to raise strategic questions and evaluate their responses from a position of being better informed of the historical achievements.
The key Right to Information questions and their responses are detailed below:
1. The Total number of cases filed in courts of law by CIABOC, during the last 10 years, in connection with allegations of
a) Bribery in Sri Lanka or in foreign Countries, where the alleged bribe(s) was/were in excess of Rs. 10 million, in each such filed case-? Response: One Case –Case Number HCB/32/2017
b) Corruption, where the value of the alleged act of corruption was in excess of Rs. 25 million, in each such filed case? Response: Nil
2. Total number of cases, out of each category referred to above, which have been concluded by December 2018, with resultant convictions of the offenders? Response: Nil
3. Total Value of fines imposed and/or assets confiscated/recovered, by December 2018, consequent to case decisions in each of the categories referred to above? Response: Nil
4. Total number of cases out of each of the categories referred to, which have been dismissed or withdrawn? Response: Nil
5. The Total costs expended in the maintenance of CIABOC as an institution over the period of 10 years ending in December 2018? Response:
| Year | Expenses | |
| Rs. Mln | ||
| 1 | 2009 | 110.87 |
| 2 | 2010 | 140.47 |
| 3 | 2011 | 157.63 |
| 4 | 2012 | 201.23 |
| 5 | 2013 | 180.67 |
| 6 | 2014 | 196.13 |
| 7 | 2015 | 256.33 |
| 8 | 2016 | 317.44 |
| 9 | 2017 | 366.36 |
| 10 | 2018 | 429.38 |
| 2,356.51 | ||
I believe, a strategic review of the National Action Plan, should begin with a critical assessment of why the aforesaid dismal outcomes were the results over the last 10 years of operation of the Bribery and Corruption Commission? And there after the review should proceed to critically assess the inherent drivers leading to these outcomes and finally to a cost benefit analysis? Further, it will be essential to ask strategic questions to determine as to whether these dismal outcomes were the results of the:
