Future of Anti-Corruption Committee to be decided soon: PM’s office

May 08, 2017 (LBO) – The future of Sri Lanka's Anti-Corruption Committee Secretariat will be decided after receiving a report being prepared by a special committee, the Prime Minister's office said.

The committee is comprised of officials from Bribery or Corruption Investigation Commission, Police Financial Crimes Division and Anti-Corruption Committee Secretariat itself. The Anti-Corruption Committee Secretariat was set up under the PM’s office after the presidential election to review public complaints and to report valid complaints to the respected anti-corruption bodies. However, media reports said on Sunday that the Secretariat is facing closure since the different investigative bodies FCID, National Procurement Commission and the Commission to Investigate Bribery and Corruption are now fully operational.

Issuing a statement, Prime Minister's office said based on the outcome of the report it will be decided whether to operate the Secretariat further after assigning parallel responsibilities to the secretariat and to other anti-corruption bodies. As per media reports, 400 public complaints were forwarded to the FCID and 120 to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption by the Secretariat so far. The six-month extension of the term of the Secretariat is to expire on June 30.