The Chairman of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) of Sri Lanka, Justice Neil Iddawala, today met with Laura Pop, Neha Maryam Zaigham, and Emile van der Does de Willebois of the World Bank.
The meeting took place at the UN Secretariat in Vienna, on the sidelines of the Second Resumed Sixteenth Session of the Implementation Review Group of UNCAC, which is currently in progress in Vienna.
According to the Embassy and Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka in Vienna, CIABOC Chairman, Justice Neil Iddawela is leading the Sri Lanka delegation to this session.
The discussions with the World Bank officials focused on the effective implementation of Sri Lanka’s Proceeds of Crime Act No. 5 of 2025 (POCA), a landmark piece of legislation providing for the tracing, freezing, confiscation, management, and disposal of proceeds of crime, including corruption.
The World Bank expressed its willingness to explore avenues of technical assistance to support the practical enforcement of POCA provisions.
Sri Lanka has previously benefited from World Bank support through the Stolen Asset Recovery (StAR) Initiative, including assistance in developing the legal framework on asset declarations, drafting terms of reference for the electronic assets declaration system, expertise sharing at UNODC workshops, and technical assistance for the development of the Proceeds of Crime Policy.
Looking ahead, the CIABOC and the World Bank discussed possible areas of cooperation, including capacity building for investigators and prosecutors, technical tools for asset tracing and management, guidance on electronic platforms, and a long-term partnership to institutionalize asset recovery mechanisms.
This engagement reaffirms Sri Lanka’s commitment to international cooperation in asset recovery and the fight against corruption, while leveraging global expertise to ensure that illicit gains are returned to the people. (Newswire)
