New laws to impose severe punishment against corrupt practitioners
Sri Lanka’s anticorruption framework is in the process of undergoing major changes with a systematic and formal set of rules to impose severe punishments for offenders to combat this menace.
The government will be introducing a strong legal system and a scientific approach, executed by trained officers, not only bringing corrupt individuals to justice but also to prevent corrupt practices.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe made this disclosure delivering the government’s policy statement in Parliament on Wednesday.
“Merely bringing corrupt individuals to justice is not a comprehensive solution; prevention is equally critical. Strict rules to deter corruption and severe punishments for offenders must work in tandem,” he said. “Shouting about catching thieves is ineffective without a strong legal system and a scientific approach, executed by trained officers,” he added.
The Anticorruption Act has been introduced providing provisions for substantial improvements in the legal framework for anticorruption and organisational arrangements for confronting corruption.
A National Anticorruption Plan for 2025-2029 will be devised on the basis of inclusive consultation, with clearly defined objectives, responsibilities, management and oversight arrangements, and public reporting requirements, Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapaksa said.
An 18-month action plan to implement the Anti-Corruption Act (ACA) will be formulated soon, with allocation of authority, responsibility, and accountability for managing implementation and clear milestones for operationalising the law.
Necessary regulations are to be enacted to operationalise the conflict of interest rules (CoI) set out in the ACA including those concerning: i) defining conflict of interest; ii) guidance on declaring a conflict and managing a declared conflict; iii) sanctioning officials for failure to declare a conflict and/or failure to implement guidance provided; and iv) public reporting on system performance.
The Asset Declaration system will come in to force soon in accordance with the Anticorruption Law while enacting crime legislation that is fully aligned with the United Nations Convention against Corruption.
Effective system implementation is required to translate improvements in the legal framework for asset declarations into more effective monitoring of public officials and prevention of corruption. CIABOC, the Justice Minister said.
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