Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) Chairman MP Dr. Nishantha Samaraweera said a proposal to empower the committee to directly file complaints with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) will be presented to Parliament shortly.
Speaking to the media in Kandy, Dr. Samaraweera explained that at present, matters related to fraud and corruption uncovered by COPE are referred to the Attorney General, a process that often causes delays as cases must be re-studied before being forwarded to investigative authorities. The proposed change aims to speed up action against corruption.
He said the proposal has already been submitted to the Standing Orders Committee, which has given its consent, and now awaits parliamentary approval. Once approved, COPE will be able to directly hand over evidence and findings to the CID or CIABOC for further investigation.
Dr. Samaraweera noted that there is a recurring pattern of abuse of power by both politicians and public officials, resulting in serious harm to the public and misuse of state funds. He stressed that enabling COPE to act directly is a crucial step toward eliminating fraud, corruption, theft and waste.
He also revealed that several necessary amendments have already been introduced to the Audit Act, with more reforms currently being prepared, expressing hope that all Members of Parliament would support these measures without opposition.
