Deepali Wijesundara responds to CIABOC article

The following is a ‘right of reply’ sent by justice (Rtd) Deepali Wijesundara, Commissioner ll Commission to Investigate Allegations it Bribery and Corruption (CIABOC) in response to the article published on April 27, 2022 in the Daily Mirror. 

I write with reference to the article published in your newspaper dated 27th April 2022 with regard to the Commission to Investigate Bribery or Corruption.
 I was shocked and saddened to see the false accusations levelled against me in your article. I would like to point out the following regarding the baseless allegations in the said article.

All legal officers of the CIABOC are hardworking lawyers with highest integrity and if action is to be taken against any one of them the commission that is all three members have to give a directive to the Director General. The writer has forgotten that there is a Chairman to the commission and there are three members! No such decision was taken by the three members.

Withdrawal of bribery cases, where sanction of all three members was not given, was due to the three bench judgment of the Supreme Court in the Anoma Polwatte case.
After the withdrawal of such cases all three commissioners study the files and sanction is given in writing to refile a fresh indictment to the Director General.

Out of the withdrawn cases not a single case was withdrawn where President Rajapakse, Mr Mahinda Rajapakse or their family members were suspects.
The cases withdrawn against them in the High Court at bar were cases filed by the Attorney Generals Department and not by the CIABOC.
We get many complaints daily and there are 6000 pending investigations; most of which were received prior to December 2020.

Due to lack of resources, investigating officers and the Covid 19 situation the commission had to face unexpected challenges since we took office in December 2020. Since then we have filed 96 cases and concluded many investigations.We are in the process of investigating high profile corruption complaints which I am unable to mention due to the restrictions imposed by section 17 of the Bribery-commission Act of 1994. In fact the writer of the said article and her informants have violated section 17 by publishing information in pending inquiries which is a punishable offense under the said act.

Most of the files mentioned in your article are still under investigation and not closed.
When a file is closed for lack of material evidence both the complainant and the suspect are informed by the secretary to the commission.
I am unable to give information on each case as I am bound by section 17 of the said act.
Finally as a responsible newspaper I hope you will correct the said article.

Thanking you,
Deepali Wijesundera
Commissioner ll 
CIABOC
Colombo 7