Sixteen Former Cabinet Ministers Caught Up in Bribery and Corruption Investigations, Reveals Watagala

Sixteen former Cabinet Ministers are among those implicated in bribery and corruption cases investigated over a two-year period spanning October 2024 to October 2026, according to a senior official from the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

Wide Net Cast Over Former Officials

The revelation was made by CIABOC Director General Sarath Watagala, who disclosed that the anti-corruption body has been actively pursuing cases involving high-ranking former government figures as part of a broader crackdown on public sector corruption in Sri Lanka.

The disclosure signals a significant escalation in accountability efforts, with some of the country's most prominent former political figures now facing formal legal scrutiny over their conduct while in office.

A Landmark Period for Anti-Corruption Efforts

The two-year investigative window represents one of the most active periods in CIABOC's history in terms of targeting senior political figures. The inclusion of sixteen former Cabinet Ministers in active bribery and corruption cases underscores the scale of alleged misconduct that investigators say they have uncovered.

Sixteen former Cabinet Ministers have been implicated in bribery and corruption cases investigated between October 2024 and October 2026, Watagala confirmed.

The cases are understood to cover a range of alleged offences, including abuse of power, financial impropriety, and bribery during the respective ministers' tenures in government.

Public Confidence and the Road Ahead

The disclosures are expected to draw significant public attention at a time when Sri Lankans have grown increasingly vocal in their demand for greater transparency and accountability from those who have held positions of public trust.

Anti-corruption advocates have long called for stronger enforcement action against senior politicians, and the latest figures from CIABOC suggest that authorities are moving in that direction, albeit amid questions about the pace and outcomes of such proceedings.

Further details regarding the identities of those implicated and the specific nature of the allegations are expected to emerge as the cases progress through the legal process.

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