By The Pulseline News Desk
The Government has proposed a series of amendments to Sri Lanka’s Anti-Corruption Act, including provisions to legally allow public officials and other persons covered by the law to submit declarations of assets and liabilities even after retirement.
The Anti-Corruption Amendment Bill, presented to Parliament this past week, proposes amendments to several provisions of the Anti-Corruption Act, No. 9 of 2023, while also expanding the scope of the law to cover certain large trade unions and media companies.
One of the key changes concerns Section 90 of the existing Act, which is to be amended to expressly provide for the declaration of assets and liabilities after a person has retired.
The proposed amendment is intended to ensure that the obligation to disclose assets and liabilities does not end solely because a person has retired from the position or employment that brought them within the scope of the declaration requirements.
The Bill also seeks to amend Section 88 to provide greater clarity on the use and handling of declarations of assets and liabilities, while introducing provisions aimed at protecting the privacy of information contained in such declarations.
Under the proposed provisions, a person who obtains a redacted version of another person’s declaration of assets and liabilities would be prohibited from using it for any purpose other than submitting the declaration to an officer or institution authorised under Section 86 of the Act.
The Bill further establishes an offence where a person uses a redacted declaration in a manner that violates the privacy of the individual concerned.
A person convicted of such an offence following a summary trial before a Magistrate could face a fine of up to Rs. 100,000, imprisonment for a period of up to one year, or both.
Another significant amendment relates to conflicts of interest.
Section 84 of the Anti-Corruption Act is to be amended to introduce provisions specifically providing for investigations into matters relating to conflicts of interest.
The proposed change could strengthen the legal framework for investigating situations where personal, financial or other interests may potentially influence the conduct of persons covered by the anti-corruption law.
The amendment Bill also seeks to broaden the application of provisions under the Anti-Corruption Act to certain organisations and individuals outside the traditional public-sector framework.
Under the proposed amendments, the provisions of the Act would apply to trade unions with more than 1,000 members.
The Bill further proposes bringing certain individuals associated with media companies within the scope of the anti-corruption legislation.
Accordingly, the provisions would apply to proprietors, chairpersons and directors of media companies registered with the Ministry responsible for mass media and licensed under Section 22 of the Sri Lanka Telecommunications Act, No. 25 of 1991.
The proposed amendments therefore seek to widen the reach of Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption framework while tightening rules surrounding asset declarations, conflicts of interest and the handling of financial disclosure information.
The inclusion of large trade unions and specified media-sector stakeholders marks a notable expansion of the categories of persons and entities that could come within the ambit of the Anti-Corruption Act.
At the same time, the provisions dealing with redacted asset declarations seek to balance transparency with privacy, imposing criminal liability on those who misuse disclosed information.
The Bill will now be subject to the parliamentary process, including consideration of its provisions and any amendments before it proceeds towards enactment.
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