Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Chaminda Wijesiri has questioned the government’s approach to bribery investigations, asking why individuals alleged to have paid bribes are being questioned overseas instead of being brought back to Sri Lanka to face further legal proceedings.
Speaking in Parliament, Wijesiri acknowledged the authorities’ efforts to apprehend underworld figures operating overseas but questioned whether the same approach was being adopted in investigations into alleged large-scale corruption.
He pointed out that while individuals accused of accepting bribes were being arrested, remanded and produced before courts, investigators were travelling overseas to obtain statements from individuals alleged to have paid bribes.
“Offering a bribe is also an offence. If a person admits to having paid a bribe, why isn’t that individual also brought back to Sri Lanka?” Wijesiri said.
He stressed that investigations should establish the circumstances surrounding alleged bribery transactions, including who offered the money, who accepted it and where the transactions took place.
Wijesiri also questioned whether obtaining statements and sworn affidavits from individuals overseas, while other suspects remained in custody, was sufficient to ensure accountability.
He suggested that the process could create the impression of a political performance rather than a comprehensive investigation into the alleged offences.
Questioning the minister directly, Wijesiri asked whether the government approved the procedure or whether it was being pursued for political reasons.
He noted that authorities should investigate both parties involved in alleged bribery transactions and ensure that everyone suspected of an offence is dealt with according to the law.
Wijesiri called on the minister to clarify whether the procedure followed by investigators was deliberate government policy and whether the same legal standards were being applied to all individuals implicated in bribery cases.
His remarks highlighted questions over the consistency of anti-corruption investigations and whether authorities were pursuing those alleged to have offered bribes with the same determination as those accused of accepting them.
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