Over 30 public officials arrested over bribery charges during first four months

Colombo, June 11 (Daily Mirror) - A total of 32 state officials and public servants have been arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) during the first four months of 2026.

The arrests, carried out between January and April, involved officials from several sectors of the public service, including education, law enforcement, the judiciary, local government and environmental agencies.

Among those arrested this year were a Zonal Education Director, a Quazi Judge, four police officers, including a Sub-Inspector and a Sergeant, five Forest Department officials and several local government officers. 

The arrests were made as part of CIABOC's ongoing investigations into allegations of bribery and corruption within the public sector. 

Meanwhile, the Bribery Commission received 786 complaints in April, bringing the total number of complaints lodged during the first four months of 2026 to 2,686.

The report shows that 1,267 complaints were processed during April, including cases carried forward from previous months. Of these, 917 complaints were reviewed by the Commission's complaint committee.

Following the review process, 151 complaints were referred for full investigations, while 639 were dismissed due to insufficient evidence or because they fell outside the Commission's jurisdiction. Another 81 complaints were directed to relevant institutions for further action, and 15 were referred to investigators for the recording of statements.

As a result of these efforts, CIABOC reduced its pending complaint backlog to 350 cases by the end of April.

The Commission also maintained legal action against alleged offenders. During April, five new cases involving seven accused persons were filed before the courts. This increased the number of cases instituted by CIABOC in 2026 to 38, involving 51 defendants.

The accused include several former senior public officials and political figures, among them a former Minister of Petroleum Resources Development, a former Chairman of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, a former Chief Executive Officer of Mihin Lanka and a former Minister of Health and Mass Media.

Meanwhile, courts concluded 13 bribery and corruption cases during the first four months of the year, resulting in convictions against 14 individuals. Those convicted include four civilians, a police Sub-Inspector, two Quazi Judges and a former Human Resources Director of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.

The Commission reported that fines, penalties and compensation recovered through court proceedings amounted to Rs. 1.88 million between January and April.

As of April 30, CIABOC had 314 active cases before the courts, including 295 cases being prosecuted in the High Court.