Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption landscape has come under renewed scrutiny following the release of the 2025 Progress Report of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, revealing widespread procedural failures across State institutions even as authorities claim a shift toward proactive enforcement. The report, covering the period from 1 January to 31 December 2025, coincides with major investigations into the Department of Motor Traffic and the Department for Registration of Persons, highlighting the systemic nature of corruption within the public sector.
According to the report, the commission received 8,409 complaints during 2025, underscoring the scale of public grievances. However, 3,660 of these complaints were not pursued due to insufficient evidence or because they fell outside the commission’s legal mandate, exposing structural constraints in the complaints-based system. During the year, CIABOC carried out 130 raids, of which only 68 were deemed effective, while 57 yielded no substantial results and six were postponed. These operations led to the arrest of 84 suspects.
Despite the volume of investigations, the conversion of complaints into judicial outcomes remains limited. The commission filed 115 new cases in 2025, including 75 bribery cases, 21 corruption cases, 14 cases related to unexplained wealth, and five cases under money laundering provisions. While the inclusion of money laundering charges reflects the expanded mandate under the Anti-Corruption Act No. 9 of 2023, the judicial backlog remains severe. By the end of the year, 42 convictions had been secured, but 288 cases were pending before the High Courts, with a total of 305 cases stalled across all courts.
The report has reinforced long-standing concerns raised by Transparency International Sri Lanka, which has repeatedly warned that legislative reform without political will and enforcement capacity is insufficient. The organisation has pointed to gaps in tracking illicit funds and criticised the absence of a centralised beneficial ownership registry, a weakness that undermines efforts to trace money laundering and verify asset declarations. It has also cautioned that digitisation initiatives, often promoted as anti-corruption solutions, may themselves become sources of abuse if procurement and oversight mechanisms are weak.
Sri Lanka’s stagnant performance on the global Corruption Perceptions Index reflects these concerns, with watchdogs arguing that the persistence of impunity continues to erode public trust. The CIABOC report further illustrates how corruption cuts across sectors. The Sri Lanka Police recorded the highest number of arrests, with 30 officers taken into custody, including senior ranks such as Chief Inspectors and Inspectors. Local government institutions were also implicated, with several pradeshiya sabha chairpersons arrested, while the judiciary and revenue sectors saw arrests involving court officials and a senior Inland Revenue officer.
The arrest logs for 2025 include several politically exposed persons, signalling that investigations have reached senior levels of power. Those arrested include former Ministers Keheliya Rambukwella, S.M. Chandrasena, Prasanna Ranatunga, former State Minister Anupa Pasqual, and former MP Shasheendra Rajapaksa. Senior figures from State-owned enterprises, including former chairpersons of SriLankan Airlines and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, were also implicated. In some cases, investigations extended to family members, highlighting the role of kinship networks in concealing illicit gains.
One of the most significant investigations detailed in the report involves the Department of Motor Traffic, following a raid at its Werahera branch in May 2025 that uncovered Rs. 4.1 million in cash allegedly intended for internal distribution. The investigation led to the arrest of the former Commissioner General of Motor Traffic and several senior officials. While authorities have confirmed that investigations into a wider distribution network are ongoing, details have been withheld under provisions of the Anti-Corruption Act.
In response, the current Commissioner General of Motor Traffic has sought to distance the present administration from the scandal, while promoting digitisation and a transition to fully cashless transactions as the primary preventive measure. Proposals have been submitted to the Ministry of Digital Economy, with plans for Cabinet approval aimed at eliminating cash handling vulnerabilities.
Parallel concerns have emerged at the Department for Registration of Persons at the Suhurupaya complex, where allegations of attendance fraud and overtime irregularities surfaced through media reports. Although no formal complaint has yet been lodged with CIABOC, authorities have indicated that a proactive investigation may be initiated. The Ministry of Digital Economy has launched an internal inquiry, examining both alleged malpractice and the accuracy of media reporting, while acknowledging operational constraints such as staff shortages and weak supervision.
Against this backdrop, CIABOC Chairman Justice Neil Iddawela has emphasised a strategic transformation of the commission under the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan for 2025–2029. He stated that the commission is moving away from a purely reactive role toward a broader framework centred on prevention, institutional strengthening, education, and enforcement. With new tools such as electronic asset declarations and stricter conflict-of-interest rules, the commission aims to address unexplained wealth and complex financial crimes. However, the findings of the 2025 report suggest that bridging the gap between law and lived reality remains Sri Lanka’s central challenge in its fight against corruption.
