Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) Ranga Dissanayake, warned that bribery remains deeply entrenched in government offices, pointing to a recent incident at the Department of Motor Vehicles as an example of how corruption thrives due to public silence and a lack of principled officials.
Referring to a recent investigation, he said it found that in just one branch of the Motor Vehicle Department, bribe money collected in a single week amounted to about 4.1 million rupees.
Dissanayake said many citizens believe paying a bribe is unavoidable if they want official work completed, creating an environment in which corruption becomes normalized.
He stressed that such misconduct occurs largely due to the absence of righteous and courageous public officials willing to confront corrupt practices within state institutions.
“What is needed in these offices is not merely officers who refuse bribes to protect themselves,” the chief said. “What we need are people who are prepared to stand up against bribery and corruption, even though that is not an easy task.”
Also, he pointed out that such unlawful practices have consequences beyond those directly involved, noting that corruption also harms individuals who witness such acts but choose to remain silent.
“These activities affect not only those who refuse to engage in them, they also affect those who see wrongdoing and keep quiet,” he added. (Newswire)
“We seized Rs. 4.1 million from a deputy commissioner of the RMV. It was the week’s collection of bribes from that branch,” Bribery Commission Director General Ranga Dissanayake reveals the extent of corruption at the Department of Motor of Motor Traffic, questioning why the… pic.twitter.com/makpXPd7vo
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