New SFO in place of FCID

New SFO in place of FCID

The government is taking steps to install a new institution by the name of Secret Fraud Office (SFO) in place of the Police Financial Crimes Investigation Department which is continuing with various criticisms and discrepancies and to investigate fraudulent activities on a wide scale. Attention has been focused on this matter after

discussions that took place between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasingha.

It is expected to institute an office delving into secret frauds in Sri Lanka of the type of institute in operation in Great Britain for the purpose of conducting rapid investigations in relation to misappropriation of public property, corruption and irregularities. It is reported that this Secret Fraud Office would be established to quicken investigations into corruption, irregularities and and misappropriation of government property which occured during the last regime. It is envisaged that this office would be equipped with total authority to conduct investigations in connection with misappropriation of government property and large-scale monetary frauds. This unit would possess authority that goes beyond activities of the Financial Crimes Investigation Department (FCID) which is in operation currently and it would also be affiliated to the FCID, government sources reveal.