COPE, COPA Reports Can Now Trigger CID, Bribery Probes

COLOMBO (News 1st); A new parliamentary reform came into effect today, enabling reports submitted by the Committee on Public Enterprises and the Committee on Public Accounts to be formally forwarded to the Criminal Investigation Department or the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption as complaints for further investigation.

The development follows amendments to Parliament's Standing Orders approved today.

COPE and COPA committees are tasked with scrutinising the financial discipline and accountability of state-owned enterprises and statutory bodies.

Although heads of institutions and public officials have regularly been summoned before these committees for questioning, their findings have often been confined to reports and recommendations with limited follow-up action.

However, amendments to Parliament's Standing Orders adopted today will now allow reports of these committees to be directly referred to law enforcement agencies as formal complaints.

COPE Chairman Dr. Nishantha Samaraweera said information relating to eight institutions has already been prepared for submission to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption.