Rooting out Police corruption

PRESIDENT Anura Kumara Disanayake’s recent warning to Police officers allegedly entangled in drug trafficking networks marks a significant, and long overdue, moment in the fight against corruption. “Leave immediately! Otherwise, we will remove you,” the President declared last week at the launch of the Government’s new anti-narcotics initiative. His words were sharp, unequivocal, and resonant. But words alone, however strong, must now translate into consistent, transparent action.

- 

For too long, Sri Lanka’s Police department, an institution meant to uphold justice and safeguard the rule of law, has been tarnished by allegations of corruption, brutality, and complicity in organised crime. The illicit drug trade, in particular, has evolved into a parallel state, feeding politicians, public officials, and elements within the very agencies tasked with dismantling it. It is an ecosystem of impunity that has eroded public confidence in law enforcement and weakened the moral foundations of governance.