Public officials accused of bribery or corruption following scrutiny by the two key parliamentary oversight committees—COPE (Committee on Public Enterprises) and COPA (Committee on Public Accounts)—will, under proposed changes, be referred directly to the police or the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIAOBC), bypassing the Attorney General.
The motion to amend the Standing Orders was presented to Parliament on Friday and will be scheduled for debate at a later date.
This move to tighten laws and curb corruption in the public sector follows the recently passed amendment to the National Audit Act. That amendment grants the Auditor General the authority to refer complaints of fraud, corruption, or misappropriation uncovered during audits directly to the police. It also introduces provisions for surcharges to be imposed on officials or institutions found guilty of financial misconduct.
The proposed amendments to the Standing Orders were submitted by NPP Parliamentarian Nishantha Samaraweera, Chair of COPE, and NPP Parliamentarian Aravinda Senarath, Chair of COPA.
Once implemented, the new Standing Orders will allow COPE and COPA, upon examining Auditor General reports and determining that serious financial fraud or corruption has occurred, to forward such matters directly to the CIAOBC or the Inspector General of Police for appropriate action.
At present, under existing Standing Orders, COPE or COPA reports tabled in Parliament are referred to the Minister of Finance and to the ministers responsible for the institutions under investigation. These ministers are then required to submit their observations to Parliament within eight weeks, along with a statement of the actions they propose to take in line with the committees’ recommendations. If Parliament so decides, the reports may subsequently be referred to the Attorney General for observations and further action.
The proposed changes aimed at expediting this process have already been referred to the parliamentary Committee on Standing Orders for consideration.
Meanwhile, the five-member Surcharge Review Committee—mandated under the newly passed National Audit (Amendment) Act—has yet to be established. This committee will be tasked with reviewing recommendations made by the Auditor General and determining the penalties to be imposed as surcharges on those found guilty of financial fraud.
