Bribery Commission receives 964 complaints in 8 months - Guruge

Nimal Wijesinghe, Anuradhapura Additional District Group Correspondent

ANURADHAPURA: The majority of complaints of bribery and corruption are aimed at members of the Armed Forces and Police.

During the past 8 months the Commission to Investigate Bribery and Corruption has received 964 bribery complaints and 130 successful raids were conducted,? said Director, Commission to Investigate Bribery or Corruption, Police Superintendent Nevil Guruge.

He was delivering a lecture at a awareness programme on the present trends of bribery and corruptions and laws concerning the subject. Organised by the Ceylon Electricity Board, the seminar was held at the auditorium of the Central Bank Anuradhapura. Guruge said bribery has been thriving among police officers according to the information.

During the recent past 19 police officers belonging to various ranks are alleged to have accepted or demanded bribes.

There were 10 Grama Niladaris too charged for bribery. He said ?among those who have been nabbed while soliciting bribes are, Divisional Secretaries, Principals, Registrars of Marriages and Deaths, Directors and Secretaries belonging to executive grades.

It is the responsibility and the obligation of every law-abiding citizen to assist the Bribery Commission by providing correct information about corrupt persons who thrived on bribery and misdeeds.

We must be on the alert for persons who become rich overnight whether they are government servants of civilians, as sometimes some of them might have linked to the network of bribery and corruptions, said Guruge.

Guruge requested the public to provide such information to the Commission and such information and particulars of informants will be kept secret, he added.