Sixteen former Cabinet Ministers have been implicated in bribery and corruption cases probed between October 2024 and October 2026, Deputy Minister of Public Security Sunil Watagala announced in Parliament on Tuesday.
Addressing lawmakers, Watagala revealed that inquiries conducted by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) over the two-year span also implicated three former State Ministers, one former Chief Minister, four wives of former ministers, seven children of former ministers, and six local government chairpersons. The Deputy Minister emphasized that corrupt practices reached far beyond elected political officials to encompass their immediate families and staff, noting that even drivers employed by politicians have been connected to bribery allegations.
Key Developments
- Sixteen former Cabinet Ministers, three former State Ministers, and one former Chief Minister were implicated in CIABOC investigations between October 2024 and October 2026.
- Inquiries also snared family members and associates, including four wives and seven children of former ministers, alongside six local government chairpersons and politicians’ drivers.
- The current administration attributed the surge in cases to operationalizing the Anti-Corruption Act passed in 2023, which had previously seen neglected enforcement.
- New state guidelines and reinforced institutional autonomy were credited with empowering the Bribery Commission to execute thorough investigations.
Watagala attributed the breakthrough in anti-graft inquiries to decisive steps taken by the current government to guarantee the autonomy of state oversight bodies. Although the Anti-Corruption Act was enacted in 2023, its practical execution had been sidelined under the previous administration. He concluded that introducing crucial operational guidelines and safeguarding the independence of the Bribery Commission have proven vital in confronting systemic corruption and holding public figures accountable.