Tackling corruption amidst controversies

• The allegations and counter allegations would not solve problems. All stakeholders have to put their heads together and find ways to make the wheels turn

Sri Lanka is facing significant controversies surrounding two key ‘AG’ positions the Attorney General and the Auditor General which have created political tension and accusations of institutional interference against the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna -led National People’s Power (NPP) Government. 

These two positions are undoubtedly very important in the NPP’s drive against corruption, possibly the foremost election promises of the party on which all other promises and its entire economic programme are positioned. The Daily Mirror on Friday reported that despite political rhetoric for eradication of corruption, the situation in Sri Lanka has taken a turn for the worse. 

According to the report, the country now ranking 24.7, a drop by 7.3 notches in the Global Corruption Perception Index in 2025 prepared by World Economics which is a UK-based research organisation. Sri Lanka ranked 32 out of 100 in the index in 2024, 34 in 2023, 36 in 2022 and 37 in 2021, according to data from the Transparency International on which the World Economics report is also based. 

The dip in the Sri Lanka’s position in corruption perception index during the past governments and the NPP Government cannot be attributed to the same factors as the leaders of the previous governments seemed involved in most high-profile corrupt incidents. 

It is the Auditor General who always finds gaps in accounts and procedures in the public institutions and reveals in his reports with substantiating documents and laws that are breached. These reports are discussed in the Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) with the Chairman of the COPE and Members of Parliament grilling the relevant officials. However, sadly, this process ends there, as no follow-up legal action is taken against most of those who involved in corruption, waste and mismanagement exposed in that process. Yet, Auditor General’s role in containing corruption is undisputable. 

However, the position of the Auditor General is vacant for the past ten months since the last permanent Auditor General W.P.C. Wickramaratne’s tenure elapsed. Both the Government and the Opposition trade accusations for the situation, with the Opposition alleging that the Government wants one of its allies to be appointed to the post while Government accusing the Opposition for alleged rejection of four nominees of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Constitutional Council (CC).  

The Opposition predicted that President Dissanayake would appoint one of his favourites as the Auditor General after new three individuals are appointed to the CC in January. A new Auditor General is a must for the country. The CC has to give serious consideration to it. 

Though the office of the other AG, the Attorney General is the prime device in the State machinery to taking legal action against those involved in corruption, it has become the center of a public dispute these days. The supporters of the Government give vent to their frustration over the Government’s long delay or failure in taking the corrupt officials and politicians of the previous governments as promised by the NPP leaders by turning against the Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe Jnr. The NPP Government was not the first of its kind that was accused of going back on its word on putting the corrupt officials and politicians behind bars. Chandrika Kumaratunga promised to flay the corrupt individuals publicly at Gall Face green. However, her ministers accused the Attorney General’s Department when things did not move in that direction. Finally, her government failed in eradication of corruption even after a change in the Attorney General. Similarly, leaders of the so-called Yahapalana Government had to face public frustration over its failure in dealing with corrupt politicians and officials, as they promised during 2015 elections. It led to the resignation of the then Justice Minister. 

Sri Lanka’s Attorney General’s (AG) Department has officially pointed to failures within the Police Department as the primary cause for delays in filing cases against individuals involved in corruption and high-profile crimes. The allegations and counter allegations would not solve problems. All stakeholders have to put their heads together and find ways to make the wheels turn.

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