National People’s Power (NPP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said in Parliament yesterday that the existing laws are sufficient to take action against criminals involved in economic crimes.
However, economic criminals are not caught by the law because of the country’s bad political culture and not because of flaws in the law.
Joining the debate on the adjournment of the Anti-Corruption Bill, he said that the existing laws such as the Public Property Act, the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, the Prevention of Bribery or Corruption Act, the Criminal Procedure Act, and such acts are enough sufficient to take action against criminals who are involved in economic scams. The MP said that only ordinary citizens involved in minor offenses are caught in the justice system and those involved in serious offenses are free due to political power. If the country’s laws are weak, how can the man who stole eight coconuts go to jail? He said that the existing law only imprisons ordinary persons and that powerful people escape. “If the snake is bitten when asked to come to the Bribery or Corruption Commission, is it a problem of the law? or Is it a problem with a snake? No, it is a problem of politics. He said that a corrupt person never punishes a corrupt person. The issue is not with the laws, but bad political culture prevailing in the country.
This is a vicious circle that includes the majority of political authority, a handful of higher officials, several police officers, several business stalwarts, and media tycoons. This is an interconnected vicious circle.