Former Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, PC, says the National People’s Power (NPP) government cannot sidestep Anti-Corruption Act No 09 of 2023.

The former parliamentarian said that the Act made it mandatory for the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) to disclose the asset declarations of all, regardless of their standing.

The disclosure of NPP Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe having assets worth Rs 275 mn wouldn’t have happened if not for the new Anti-Corruption Act approved by Parliament on July 19, 2023, Rajapakshe said.

The ex-Minister said that the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) had, in writing, already requested the CIABOC to ascertain how several NPPers amassed so much wealth. According to the SJB letter, addressed to Director General of CIABOC, Ranga Dissanayake, they had named Ministers Wasantha Samarasinghe, Sunil Handunetti, Bimal Rathnayake, Nalinda Jayatissa and Punyasiri Jayakody and Deputy Minister Sunil Watagala. “The NPP will have to live with it. CIABOC will also have to ensure that all are treated alike”

Asked to explain the circumstances the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government introduced that Act, Rajapakshe said that in spite of opposition within the parliamentary group, Wickremesinghe gave him the go ahead to introduce three new Acts, namely the Anti-Corruption Act, Regulation of Election Expenditure Act and the Proceeds of Crime Act.

“We have to discuss the enactment of those Acts, taking into account the pathetic state of the economy and the persistent accusations that the executive and the legislature caused the economic crisis against the backdrop of the failure on the part of the Central Bank at that time,” Rajapakshe said. Th proposed new laws facilitated our talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as the latter emphasised the responsibility on our part to instill financial discipline across board, Rajapakshe said, adding that they decided to first introduce the Regulation of Election Expenditure Act.

All political parties, regardless of whatever differences they had with regard to other issues at hand, could have unanimously approved the Regulation of Election Expenditure Bill, Rajapakshe said. But, consensus among political parties couldn’t be achieved, the ex-Minister said, adding that finally only 97 voted for the Bill whereas 36 voted against when it was taken up on 19 January, 2023. Among those who opposed that vital piece of legislation were NPP parliamentary group leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, SJB leader Sajith Premadasa and veteran politician Lakshman Kiriella.

The former Minister pointed out a staggering 92 lawmakers skipped that important vote. Then, the Parliament, on 19 July, without a vote, approved the Anti-Corruption Act but, regardless of determined efforts, the Proceeds of Crime Bill couldn’t be enacted during Wickremesinghe tenure as the President.

Rajapakse appreciated the NPP after having won both presidential and parliamentary polls in 2024 enacted the Proceeds of Crime Bill on April 8, 2025. Responding to another query, the PC said that the three laws could make significant and fundamental changes in the political scene.

The former Minister said that the UNDP has got involved in the anti-corruption fight here with an unprecedented USD 2.5 mn Japanese funding made available for the high profile project, whereas the CIABOC held talks with the World Bank on how the latter could support Sri Lanka’s efforts with the focus on action taken in line with the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Rajapakshe said that Sri Lanka initiated, during President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga’s presidency in 2004, and signed and ratified the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). According to Rajapakshe, in terms of the UNCAC, Sri Lanka had to introduce an Anti-Corruption Act but with the change of government in 2005, that initiative was discarded. Rajapakshe said that following the change of government in 2015, an effort was made to take tangible measures in this regard but the project suffered again when he lost the Justice Ministry portfolio over his opposition to the deal on Hambantota port.”

Rajapakshe said that the Anti-Corruption Act may never have been enacted if not for the Aragalaya that brought Wickremesinghe to power in July 2022.

Former Minister Rajapakshe emphasised the importance of the enactment of 21st Amendment to the Constitution on 21 Oct., 2022, before the passage of three previously discussed Acts. The 21st Amendment received 179 votes in favour and one against while 45 abstained, Rajapakshe recalled declaring that it was aimed at restoring and strengthening the balance of powers among the executive, legislature, and judiciary, sharply eroded by the enactment of the 20th Amendment that expanded the powers of the presidency.

Rajapakshe alleged that the then Premier Dinesh Gunawardena made a last minute bid to put off the vote by compelling Wickremesinghe to come to Parliament for a meeting. “I steadfastly refused to join that meeting,” Rajapakshe said, asserting that whatever the shortcomings and faults of the post-Gotabaya administration, it enacted critically important laws that had brought immense pressure on those in power today.

By Shamindra Ferdinando