The Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bill was presented in Parliament on Wednesday by Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.
The Bill seeks to amend the Anti-Corruption Act No. 9 of 2023, the law that consolidated Sri Lanka’s bribery and corruption statutes and restructured the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC). It will now proceed through the normal parliamentary process for consideration.
Ada Derana, which reported the presentation, did not detail the substance of the proposed amendments. The government indicated earlier this year that it intended to bring changes to the 2023 Act.
The Anti-Corruption Act was enacted as part of the governance commitments Sri Lanka undertook alongside its International Monetary Fund programme, and gave CIABOC expanded investigative powers, including provisions covering asset declarations and international cooperation on corruption cases.
The Bill arrives during an unusually heavy legislative week. The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution and a companion Judicature (Amendment) Bill were tabled on August 18 and have since drawn petitions in the Supreme Court, while a Bill to replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act received Cabinet approval last week.
CIABOC has been active in recent days, arresting former minister Keheliya Rambukwella over allegations relating to a Sandagala project before he was released on bail.
