Forty-one individuals were convicted under bribery and corruption charges by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) last year, though most were minor staff attached to regional offices, according to the anti-corruption agency’s progress report.
The CIABOC report, covering the period from January 1 to November 30, last year, states that 41 persons were convicted through 35 separate convictions. The majority of those convicted were lower-level staff, including a sanitary labourer, a linesman, a veterinary officer, a police constable, and an Agrarian Development Officer.
As of November 30, last year, 270 cases were pending in High Courts, 16 in Magistrate Courts, and one case was before a Trial at Bar.
During the same period, the Commission received a record 7,811 complaints. Out of these, only 439 were referred for further investigation, while at least 2,546 complaints remain pending further investigation, according to the report.
Of the 119 raids conducted by the Commission, 61 were deemed effective, resulting in the arrest of 76 individuals.
The government’s total revenue from prosecutions during this period amounted to approximately Rs 1,565,500 in fines imposed by High Courts and Rs 1,056,000 in penalties. Additionally, Rs 18,000 was ordered as compensation by the High Court, Rs 150,000 was confiscated through the courts, and Rs 30,000 was imposed as fines through Magistrate Courts.
