by Milinda Rajasekera
The steady march of corruption indeed is a global phenomenon that has caused concern to most countries throughout the world. Transparency International, in its study carried out recently in 86 countries and territories, has found that incidence of corruption is showing a steady upward trend. The latest issue of the global corruption perception index has placed Sri Lanka at 91 among 178 countries. The top five in this Index, it is worth noting, are Denmark, New Zealand, Singapore, Finland and Sweden indicating thus the more a country develops economically, politically and socially, the less room there is for corruption.
The element of corruption in this country has made inroads into most fields of activity. In fact, no aspect of social activity seems to be immune to its inexorable invasion. Large scale corruption obviously hinders the country’s development process. But it is observed that instances of petty bribery and corruption that make the biggest impact on daily lives of our people. It is the poor and disadvantaged classes that seem to suffer inconvenience most. They often have to resort to bribery to get things done, to avoid getting into or to get out of trouble. It is paradoxical indeed that the agencies that are considered the bastions assigned to protect the public against wrongdoing, such as the police and the judiciary, are in the dock in this respect.
An effective antidote to corruption is quick detection of criminal and illegal acts and expeditious prosecution of accused and deterrent punishment. But the record about the successful prosecution in cases of corruption is extremely disappointing. A recent media report stated that more than 600 cases involving corruption had to be shelved and suspects freed, owing to lapses on the part of the police. The discrepancies and contradictions in statements submitted to courts by prosecuting police officers ranging from police inspectors down to constables have generally caused the collapse of these cases.
The fate of the country’s biggest VAT fraud case that created a sensation also seems to be in the balance now. The fourteen accused, comprising officials of the Inland Revenue Department and businessmen, who are charged with misappropriating nearly Rs.4 billion of public funds have now asked that their case be dismissed without calling the defence. This application has been made following the close of the prosecution case after calling 100 witnesses out of the 300 listed and recording of more than 15,000 pages of evidence. The defence counsel in the case have told court that they would make an application for the acquittal of the accused without the defence being called, asserting that the prosecution had failed to establish its case.
Another disconcerting report stated that 56 experienced investigation officers including the OIC attached to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, have been transferred out overnight. Although 56 new police personnel had been sent in their place, the Commission could not appoint them as investigative officers, the report says, because they had not gone through the proper recruitment procedure of the Commission.
It is no secret that grave instances of fraud and corruption disclosed even by state agencies are either not assiduously pursued or completely abandoned as a result of intervention by those at the helm of affairs. Some accused in cases of fraud seem to have miraculous acquittals in courts when they become ruling party favourites. The judicial system which has to be properly equipped to handle cases expeditiously and impartially does not seem equal to the task. Besides the element of corruption that has crept into the system other shortcomings prevent proper and speedy disposal of cases. A recent report stated that a backlog of about 650,000 cases had been pending in courts countywide for a long period. The report says that the government has now allocated Rs.400 million to formulate measures to expedite disposal of cases by adopting new technology.
So, if the government is honest about reducing, if not eliminating, corruption and fraud and transforming this Sri Lanka into a righteous state, it has to take quick and meaningful action to remedy the existing drawbacks and to sharpen the administrative machinery to reach desired goals. Its impressive pronouncements about wiping out corruption and building up of a virtuous nation will ring hollow if it allows the present state of affairs to continue. The opposition parties also cannot abnegate their responsibilities in this respect. Transparency International study has revealed that 80 percent of those questioned have held the view that political parties are also corrupt. They have, therefore, to desist from such widely prevalent corrupt practices as obtaining donations for party funds through intimidation or promise of favours.
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