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OUR POLITICIANS ON A CORRUPTION SPREE?-Revelations before Bribery Commission

By Dr Chularatne Chandratilleke

Last Sunday (13/5) issue of the Lakbima carried the lead story that there are serious bribery charges now before the Bribery Commission for investigation against 114 politicians in Sri Lanka Those charged include 30 numbers former Ministers, present Ministers and present non-Cabinet Ministers, 8 numbers MPs, 3 numbers Chief Ministers, 4 numbers Palath Sabha MPs, 14 numbers Mayors, 6 numbers Municipal Councillors, 9 numbers UC Chairmen, and 23 numbers Pradeshiya Sabha members. What a state of affairs! There may still be many more numbers not in the net.

It is very important that the government should adopt a zero tolerance approach to political corruption. Our pollies, especially those in and around the Cabinet get very generous perks, salaries, and pensions. It is simply ugly for them to seek further and illegal avenues for personal wealth creation.

Secondly, such corrupt behaviour triggers corruption down the line of the hierarchy. Police officials, Defence personnel, customs officials, school principals, clerks, and right down to the humble Grama Niladharis find an environment conducive to be corruption. "If they are allowed", these lesser people reflect, "Why not us?"

Pradeshiya Sabhas have now taken over a goodly number of the functions formerly performed by the central government bodies. I, for one, had a bad personal experience in the Yatinuwara Div Secretary's Pilimathalawa Pradeshiya Sabha office where a clerk handling acquisitions hinted by innuendo that a little money might go a long way! Mind you, the AGA of another Div office in Kalutara demanded money from my brother to improve the office! Of course, he was going to give a receipt. A lady in a Pensions office in a Colombo Divisional suggested that my brother should help her out to find an uluwassa for her half-built house! These few instances demonstrate how far down the line corruption has spread. I doubt that the Pradeshiya Sabhas serve any useful purpose other than to find opportunities for petty officials to harass ordinary citizens. These officials invariably get round Pradeshiya Sabha polticians by doing menial work for the latter and then they are protected from the disciplinary power of the AGA

Thirdly, ordinary citizens of the community are hard put to it to find the lubricant to get their jobs done. Fourthly, corruption distorts the fair distribution of goods and services among the population. Might becomes right and the public lose faith in justice and law and order. Fifthly, bribery and corruption adds to the cost of production and thereby to the cost of living.

It is surprising that President Rajapakse has up to now not condemned corruption in public life, leaving alone doing anything targeted at discouraging this alarming rend. My impression is that he appears to be nonchalant about the whole dirty business and this perception also fuels further corruption among the politicians. The President's policy of expedience over principle only helps to reinforce public neutrality about corruption. For example, there were serious charges laid against his own Minister Kumaratunge over the Alaska affair but the President chose to ignore this and in fact he went on to give Kumaratunge a more responsible portfolio, merely because the latter is his supporter. Next, there is the case of the huge VAT scandal that ran into billions where nothing to date has been done. The Tax Department has now received information of a second VAT scandal. Then, there is the case of charges against high profile members of the UNP who crossed over; the story being that some of them at least crossed over to save themselves from trouble. There are more controversial UNPers trying to cross over. The President has been openly encouraging this process obviously to suit expedience. If the President wants a stable government he must resort to a General Election, which he can win as things go. In Canada where I live, these people will be in jail and not in Parliament. The story is that some persons are put in charge of Corporations so that they can make money.

All this pinpoints that political corruption cannot be eliminated by the efforts of the Bribery Commissioner alone, even assuming the latter is given a free hand, which, again, is doubtful.

It is important to ensure the constitutional independence of key officials like the Attorney General, IGP, Bribery Commissioner etc.

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