September 04, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption watchdog has revealed that more than 1,000 complaints related to bribery and corruption remain under investigation, with several prominent political and public figures amongst those accused.
Between January 01 and July 31, 2025, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) received 3,937 complaints from the public and government bodies. After filtering out 341 duplicate submissions, 2,682 complaints were passed to the Complaints Committee for review, and 288 cases were advanced to full investigations.
Whilst a significant portion of the complaints—1,011—were closed due to lack of evidence or being outside the jurisdiction of the Bribery Act, another 489 were referred to various government institutions for follow-up. Additionally, 275 were escalated to the Commission’s Investigation Branch for statement collection. At present, 1,154 cases remain pending investigation.
Beyond administrative processing, CIABOC has seen a sharp increase in legal proceedings this year. A total of 272 court cases relating to corruption, bribery, undeclared assets, and unexplained wealth are now before the judiciary. These include 22 in Magistrates’ Courts, 249 in High Courts, and one before a Trial-at-Bar panel.
CIABOC reports that nearly 40 arrests have been made so far in 2025 as part of operations carried out by its specialised investigative divisions. These arrests include several former cabinet ministers, top-level bureaucrats, and high-ranking officials from key public institutions.
Amongst those arrested are former Minister of Health and Mass Media Keheliya Rambukwella and members of his family, ex-Minister S.M. Chandrasena, and the former Secretary of the Ministry of Health. Other high-profile names include the former Chief Secretary of the Uva Province, the former Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, and former chairpersons of major state enterprises such as the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Airports and Aviation Services, Ceylon Fisheries Harbours Corporation, and the Land Reclamation and Development Corporation.
The list also features a senior neurosurgeon from Sri Jayawardenepura Hospital and the Commissioner General of the Department of Motor Traffic, highlighting the wide-ranging nature of the investigations.
In the first seven months of the year alone, the Commission carried out 72 sting operations, leading to the arrest of 17 police officers, 43 public sector employees, and six civilians.
CIABOC has also taken decisive legal action, filing 54 new High Court cases against 64 individuals. These include 31 bribery-related cases, 15 involving corruption, and eight concerning unexplained wealth accumulation. Amongst the accused are former ministers Keheliya Rambukwella, Piyankara Jayaratne, and Chandrani Bandara, along with police officers, local government officials, civil servants, and a school principal.
From January to the end of July, government revenue generated through successful prosecutions totalled Rs. 2,120,500. This includes Rs. 1,347,500 in fines, Rs. 585,000 in court-imposed penalties, Rs. 18,000 in victim compensation, and Rs. 150,000 worth of seized assets. An additional Rs. 20,000 in fines was imposed through Magistrates’ Court rulings.
