Sixteen former Cabinet ministers have been implicated in bribery and corruption cases investigated between October 2024 and October 2026, Deputy Minister of Public Security Sunil Watagala told Parliament on Thursday.
Watagala said cases handled by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) in that period also implicated three former State Ministers, one former Chief Minister, four wives of former ministers, seven children of former ministers and six local government chairpersons.
He alleged that corruption extended to family members and associates of former officeholders, claiming that even drivers employed by politicians had been linked to bribery allegations.
The Deputy Minister credited the progress to measures taken by the government to ensure the independence of state institutions. He said that although the Anti-Corruption Act was passed in 2023, its implementation had been neglected under the previous administration. According to Watagala, the current government introduced the necessary guidelines and strengthened the independence of the Bribery Commission.