By The Pulseline News Desk
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) has signalled that the Government’s judicial reform agenda extends well beyond the courts, placing the strengthening of Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption and investigative machinery at the centre of its effort to improve the delivery of justice.
Addressing representatives of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), Dissanayake argued that there was little point in expanding the number of judges or improving court capacity if cases continued to face delays at the investigation and prosecution stages.
The President said the Government was therefore working to strengthen institutions responsible for investigating corruption, criminal offences and other cases before they reach the courts.
A major component of that programme is the planned expansion of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).
Dissanayake said CIABOC currently operates with only one office in Colombo, requiring bribery and corruption complaints from across the country to be brought to the capital.
The Government now plans to establish 24 CIABOC offices across the country, bringing the Commission’s investigative capacity closer to the regions where allegations arise.
Approval has already been granted to recruit 373 officers, according to the President.
Importantly, the Government is also seeking to address the human-resource limitations that have affected investigative agencies. Dissanayake said approval had been obtained to place the new CIABOC investigators on salary scales higher than those applicable to the general public service.
The move reflects the Government’s argument that an effective anti-corruption drive cannot depend simply on tougher laws or more prosecutions, but requires properly resourced investigators capable of building cases.
From complaints to prosecutions
Dissanayake presented the anti-corruption drive as part of a much larger justice chain.
He said investigations often take considerable time because institutions are dealing with large numbers of complaints while operating with insufficient personnel.
The Government therefore intends to strengthen the investigative capacity of the Police as well.
The approved police cadre stands at 102,000, but the President said only around 72,000 officers are currently serving. Nearly 4,000 of those officers are unavailable for uniformed duties due to medical or other reasons, leaving around 68,000 effectively available for duty.
The Government plans to recruit another 10,000 police officers, while providing improved equipment and technology.
For the Government, strengthening these investigative institutions is critical to ensuring that corruption cases do not simply remain as complaints but progress through a functioning prosecution and judicial process.
Strengthening the Attorney General’s Department
The next link in that chain is the Attorney General’s Department.
Dissanayake said the department was facing difficulties retaining experienced legal officers, prompting the Government to approve the recruitment of 50 additional officers.
He also said the Government was looking at the promotion system and remuneration of legal officers, including allowances associated with handling cases involving companies.
The President’s argument was that the State cannot expect to conduct complex corruption and financial crime prosecutions effectively without retaining experienced legal professionals.
The proposed measures therefore seek to strengthen the entire process — from detecting an alleged act of corruption, to investigating it, preparing the case and ultimately prosecuting it before the courts.
A test for the anti-corruption promise
The emphasis on institutional capacity is significant for a Government that has made anti-corruption a central political promise.
Rather than presenting the fight against corruption solely as a matter of pursuing individuals after alleged wrongdoing has occurred, Dissanayake’s remarks suggest an attempt to build a stronger institutional framework for detecting and prosecuting such offences.
The planned expansion of CIABOC beyond Colombo could also mark a significant shift in how corruption complaints are handled, particularly if regional offices allow allegations to be investigated more quickly and directly.
But the success of the programme will ultimately depend on whether the additional personnel, resources and institutional changes translate into faster investigations and credible prosecutions.
For now, Dissanayake is framing the anti-corruption drive as inseparable from judicial reform: stronger investigations, stronger prosecutions and stronger courts must operate as one system if the Government is to deliver on its promise of a more accountable State.
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