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| Monday, 4 August 2003 |
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by Asanga Warnakulasuriya Bribery Commission member Dr. Kingsley Wickremasuriya admitted the fact that, though the Commissioner and the hierarchy of the commission were able to stand upright against any political influence, the rest, specially some investigations officers are constantly influenced by politicians. "Recently the Commission had to suspend several Police officers attached to the commission from work who were found guilty of working biased for a certain politicians, the retired Senior DIG of Police said. Speaking at the distribution of the much awaited Annual Report of the Bribery Commission for 2001, Wickremasuriya said that following the death of Commission member T. N. Abeywira, retired judge of the Court of Appeal, the commission has been overwhelmed with over 900 new complaints waiting to be taken up for investigations. In reply to the allegation made against the commission of catching only sprats and not sharks, Wickremasuriya said that legal constraints placed on the commission by the Act in 1994 authorises the commission to carry out investigations only if there is a complaint made and that too only if genuine and there is material for investigations. In the second annual report after the first one in 2000,he stated that the Commission had carried out 45 (an 800 per cent) increase in the number of raids when compared with only 5 in 2000. Though the conviction rate was only 23.3 per cent due to accused sneaking through loop holes in the law, the commission had received 1716 complaints in total, a 76 per cent increase over the year 2000. Meanwhile, the Commission member, Piyasena Ranasingha requested the public help in trying to eliminate the corruption within the system by informing about any corruption that has taken place or will be taking place in future. The commission gives an assurance that all information will be treated in confidentiality. |
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