Colombo, May 30, 2025 — In a sweeping anti-corruption drive, Sri Lanka’s National People’s Power (NPP)-led government has launched expedited investigations into over 20 former Members of Parliament, including several ex-ministers, over allegations of financial misconduct, bribery, and abuse of state resources.
The crackdown follows the recent convictions of former ministers Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Nalin Fernando, who were found guilty of misappropriating Rs. 53 million in public funds. Their sentencing has reignited public attention on a broader campaign promise made by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to hold corrupt officials accountable regardless of rank or past immunity.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala confirmed that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is currently probing over 20 similar cases. “Some of these cases go back 10 to 15 years and were swept under the carpet by previous governments,” the minister said. “Now, under NPP leadership, they are being reopened for legal action.”
Minister Wijepala, who also served on the Anti-Corruption Committee under the Yahapalana government, revealed that certain cases will be transferred to the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) to ease the burden on the CID. He also noted that the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) is handling some parallel investigations.
“The FCID is being revitalized, but we’re still short of officers qualified to investigate complex financial crimes. We’re taking steps to address that and are boosting its resources,” he added.
While the government has pledged that no one will be above the law, the opposition accuses the NPP of political witch-hunting, claiming its members are being targeted unfairly.
So far, former ministers Keheliya Rambukwella, Prasanna Ranaweera, and Mervyn Silva have also been remanded in connection with past offenses, signaling what could become Sri Lanka’s most comprehensive corruption clean-up in decades.
With mounting public pressure and an energized anti-corruption mandate, the coming weeks may see even more high-profile names under legal scrutiny.
