Those who talk of catching thieves haven’t even brought a private members motion – Ali Sabry

No one who talks about confiscating stolen assets has so far taken steps to present a private member’s Bill to that effect, Justice Minister Ali Sabry, PC said.

He noted that the Government has moved to gazette a law concerning properties obtained through criminal activities to facilitate the recovery of unlawfully acquired wealth and assets.

Speaking at a media briefing in Colombo yesterday (16), Minister Sabry emphasised that if such incidents occur, there will be an opportunity to take legal action after the enactment of this law. The Minister further stated, “We must act against corruption and bribery to move the country forward and achieve higher economic growth. It is not feasible to catch anyone based on what politicians say.

We must adhere to the country’s legal system. Between 2015 and 2019, politicians tried to decide whom to arrest and whom to imprison, but they lost 95 percent of those cases.

The best approach is to protect the independence of institutions without political interference, and that’s why laws were introduced. The Anti-Corruption Act No. 19 of 2013 was brought in for this purpose.”

He continued, “That is why today, all Members of Parliament must declare their assets. We can now verify what they had when they took office and what they have when they leave. If anyone withholds information that they should have provided to the relevant institutions, it becomes a problem.

“We have established a very strong Anti-Corruption Law, and we are acting accordingly. Despite all the talk, no private member’s bill has ever been introduced to recover stolen assets. Last week, I presented a draft to the Cabinet, and it has now been gazetted. The gazette relates to the law concerning properties obtained through criminal activities, which will be submitted to Parliament soon for it to become law.

“This is a very powerful law. An authority will be established, appointing officials from the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and the Police to gather information. Once information is provided, it will be protected. If any information is received against someone, a sworn statement will be obtained regarding how their assets were acquired. If any wrongdoing is detected, that statement can be used against them. If evidence suggests that someone is holding money stolen by someone else, and this is not revealed, legal action can be taken against them.”

The Minister also said that a commission has been established to manage these matters both internationally and domestically.

“The Central Bank Act has granted independence, and further printing of money is not allowed. The Economic Transformation Act has set forth a plan for all regulatory activities to be conducted from a single point. Based on this, I believe that we have achieved considerable progress in the economy,” he added.

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