By The Pulseline News Desk
The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has identified around 34,000 individuals who failed to submit their mandatory asset declarations, with the commission set to strictly enforce statutory fines against all defaulters.
CIABOC Director General Ranga Dissanayake disclosed the figure at a meeting of Parliament’s Committee on Public Finance (COPF) held recently, stressing that fines would be imposed in accordance with the provisions of the Anti-Corruption Act.
“We have identified 34,000 individuals. Fines will be strictly imposed on all of them as stipulated under the Act,” Dissanayake told the committee.
The meeting was also attended by Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Department of National Budget Additional Director General Anoma Nandani.
COPF Chairman Harsha de Silva said the revenue generated through the statutory fines could provide additional financial support to the CIABOC Fund, particularly as the anti-corruption commission expands its operations across the country.
The enforcement comes under the Anti-Corruption Act No. 9 of 2023, which introduced stricter requirements for the declaration of assets and liabilities by politicians, specified public officials and other designated individuals.
Under the law, annual declarations must be submitted by 30 June, covering assets and liabilities held as at 31 March. The declaration requirements also extend to specified dependents and cohabitants.
The Act provides for automatic financial penalties when declarations are submitted after the deadline.
Those who submit their declarations between 1 and 31 July are liable to a fine equivalent to one-thirtieth of their gross monthly salary for each day of default, with the amount deducted from their salaries and credited to CIABOC.
For declarations submitted between 1 and 31 August, the applicable fine is calculated at one-thirtieth of the average total salary received during the preceding six months for each day of default.
The penalties become significantly more serious for those who fail to submit declarations beyond the stipulated period.
Failure to submit an asset declaration after 1 September constitutes a criminal offence under the Act. A person convicted of the offence may face a fine equivalent to 12 months’ gross salary, imprisonment for up to one year, or both.
The identification of approximately 34,000 defaulters marks a significant enforcement challenge for CIABOC, which has been given wider powers under the 2023 legislation to strengthen Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption framework.
The COPF also discussed the operational framework and financial structure of the CIABOC Fund, which was established under the Anti-Corruption Act.
The proposed use of fines to strengthen the Fund could provide CIABOC with an additional source of financing as it expands its investigative and enforcement capacity beyond Colombo and increases its presence across the island.
The move also signals a shift towards more active enforcement of asset declaration requirements, which are intended to improve transparency among public officials and enable authorities to identify unexplained wealth and potential conflicts of interest.
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