41 government officials arrested on bribery charges in 4 months

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption states that 51 individuals have been charged in court in connection with various cases filed by the commission during the period from January to April. It is noteworthy that the majority of those accused, 41 individuals, are public officials who held various positions, while the rest are civilians.

Of this group, 48 individuals have been charged by the Colombo High Court, and another three individuals have been charged by the Colombo Magistrate's Court.

The highest number of public officials charged in court are from the Police Department. Accordingly, cases have been filed against 14 police officers. In addition, four officers from the National Rupavahini Corporation, and two officers each representing the Urban Development Authority, the Department of Motor Traffic, the Ministries of Health and Mass Media, and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation are included in this group. The commission also points out that two Divisional Forest Officers attached to the Department of Forest Conservation are among the public officials against whom cases have been filed.

According to data published on the official website of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, a total of 2,686 complaints were received by the commission during the relevant period. It is further stated in those reports that after preliminary studies, the necessary orders and approvals have been received to initiate formal investigations into 501 complaints.