The Assistant Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), Thanuja Bandara, says that in order to build a good public service free from bribery and corruption, every public official should always do the right thing in line with their conscience.
She made the remarks on Monday, addressing an awareness program held in Parliament to inform the staff of the Secretary General of Parliament on the responsibilities and expected goals of the Internal Affairs Unit, established under the 2025–2029 Anti-Corruption Action Plan.
In line with the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan 2025–2029, recently introduced under the leadership of the President, the Presidential Secretary issued a circular calling for the establishment of “Internal Affairs Units” within state institutions, and accordingly, this unit was established.
While explaining the provisions of the Anti-Corruption Act that pertain to bribery and corruption, Thanuja Bandara pointed out that the Bribery Commission has the authority to take legal action regarding various issues such as corruption, bribery, illicit enrichment, and conflicts of interest.
The Head of the newly established Internal Affairs Unit in Parliament is the Chief of Staff and Deputy Secretary General of Parliament, Chaminda Kularatne, while the Chief Internal Auditor serves as the Integrity Officer, Dinesh Withana.
In his address, Commissioner of the Right to Information Commission of Sri Lanka, Jagath Liyanarachchi, stated that minimizing corruption in the public service can help Sri Lanka progress toward development similar to other developed countries.
He emphasized that through the Internal Affairs Unit, a major role can be played in building an efficient, corruption-free public service by ensuring the integrity of public officials. He further said that merely having the relevant laws and procedures in place is not enough for this process to work properly; there is a collective responsibility to ensure the effective functioning of the system.
Chief of Staff and Deputy Secretary General of Parliament, who also heads the Internal Affairs Unit, Chaminda Kularatne, said that everyone must work together through this unit to create a more transparent Parliament. (Newswire)