A Bill to establish a Special Tribunal to investigate corruption will soon be presented in Parliament after redrafting and incorporating the suggestions made by the Attorney General considering its constitutionality, Megapolis and Western Region Development Minister Champika Ranawaka told the Sunday Observer.
He said that the Government is expecting the suggestions of the Legal Draftsman Department this week.
He said the Bill to establish a special Tribunal or special commission to investigate corruption drafted by Special Assignments Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama and endorsed by several Cabinet Ministers including him, was approved by the Cabinet and submitted to the Legal Draftsman’s Department to check its constitutionality.
“The Bill was drafted and submitted to the Legal Draftsman, to avoid delays in submitting this Bill in Parliament,” the Minister said.
He said the Bill focuses on establishing a special court or a commission in line with the Criminal Justice Commission established after the 1971 insurrection. However, this Bill has been drafted to establish a tribunal in line with the present Constitution.“After it is established, the tribunal will have the authority to accept, inquire and investigate into complaints on corruption and to prosecute and impose fines on the people found guilty of such offences,” the Minister said.
The Minister said the Bill has been drafted emulating the Singaporean experience in investigating corruption and focus only on corruption in the State sector although the body in Singapore deals with corruption in the private sector too.
“There are proposals to give authority to this body to investigate corruption in the private sector too, but there is no final decision in this regard,” he said.
The Minister said the proposed tribunal will only focus on corruption issues and streamline and expedite investigations and the prosecution of people responsible for such offences speedily. He said though action taken by the present Government was not up to the satisfaction of the people who expected speedy action against the people responsible for corruption, this Bill is aimed at strengthening that process.