Sixteen (16) 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 today (08).Addressing Parliament, Watagala said that cases handled by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) during this period had 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 had extended beyond former political officeholders to their family members and associates, claiming that even drivers employed by politicians had been linked to bribery allegations.

The Deputy Minister attributed the progress in anti-corruption investigations to measures taken by the current government to ensure the independence of state institutions.He claimed that although the Anti-Corruption Act was passed in 2023, its effective implementation had been neglected under the previous administration.Watagala said the current government had introduced the necessary guidelines and strengthened the independence of the Bribery Commission, enabling it to carry out investigations and perform its duties more effectively.

He maintained that the developments demonstrated the importance of institutional independence in addressing bribery and corruption