Public officials facing allegations of bribery or corruption may soon be referred directly to the police or the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, bypassing the Attorney General, after investigations by the two parliamentary oversight committees—COPE and COPA.
The proposal to amend the Standing Orders for this purpose was presented to Parliament last Friday and will be debated later. It follows the recently passed amendment to the National Audit Act, which empowers the Auditor General to refer complaints of fraud, corruption, or misappropriation uncovered during audits directly to the police. The Act also provides for surcharges on officials or institutions found guilty of financial misconduct.
The amendments to the Standing Orders were proposed by National People’s Power MPs Nishantha Samaraweera, Chair of COPE, and Aravinda Senarath, Chair of COPA. Once adopted, the two committees, after reviewing Auditor General’s reports and concluding that serious financial fraud has occurred, will be able to forward such cases directly to the Bribery Commission or the Inspector General of Police.
Currently, once COPE and COPA reports are tabled in Parliament, they are sent to the Minister of Finance and the relevant line ministers, who must respond within eight weeks with observations and proposed actions. Reports can also be referred to the Attorney General if Parliament so decides. The proposed changes aim to streamline and speed up the process.
Meanwhile, the five-member Surcharge Review Committee, to be set up under the amended National Audit Act, has not yet been constituted. This committee will have the authority to review the Auditor General’s recommendations and determine the surcharges to be imposed as penalties for financial fraud.
