Police, Customs and Revenue Depts. top corruption lists

CIABOC CHAIRMAN REVEALS STARK DATA

- By NISHEL FERNANDO

In a candid and data-driven address, the head of Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption watchdog has revealed that the public institutions are perceived as the most corrupt by citizens, while simultaneously identifying a separate list of state bodies whose corrupt activities inflict the most severe damage on the national economy.

Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) Chairman Justice Neil Iddawala presented the stark findings from a recent yearlong, nationwide survey.

Speaking at a lecture for senior government officials in Colombo recently, he drew a crucial distinction between the public perception and economic impact, placing agencies such as Sri Lanka Customs and Inland Revenue Department at the epicentre of high-value corruption that directly undermines the country’s financial stability.

The revelations come as Sri Lanka enforces a powerful new legal arsenal, including the Anti-Corruption Act of 2023 and Proceeds of Crime Act of 2025, signalling a zero-tolerance approach and placing the onus of compliance squarely on the shoulders of the public and private sector leaders.

According to the national survey, the Sri Lankan public views the institutions they interact with daily as the most susceptible to bribery and corruption.