Eliminating bribery and corruption

A proposal made by the Chairman of the Commission to Probe Allegations of Bribery and Corruption Retired Supreme Court Judge Ameer Ismail for the appointment of an exclusive elite body to tackle the scourge of bribery and corruption in society should merit the attention of the authorities.

Justice Ismail was yesterday quoted in our weekend paper the Sunday Observer as saying that an independent authority should analyse the question of corruption without the intervention of the Police since the latter was prone to temptation and subject to influence.

He said this in the context of Sri Lanka been ranked 92 in the Corruption Perception Index done by Transparency International - a watchdog on corruption is state institutions. The report said corruption was rampant in the public sector.

The Chairman’s call for leaving out the police in fighting corruption can be appreciated given the dubious record acquired by the Police Department in recent times of being in the top of list of state institutions plagued by rampant corruption.

The unravelling of the Sakvithi financial scam has revealed how certain police officers had deposited millions of rupees in the crashed venture. From where did they acquire such wealth?

The frequent newspaper reports linking police officers with bribery at various levels only goes to buttress the claims of the Chairman. But will excluding the police along in the fight against corruption put things in order?

We say this because corruption today is a deep seated malaise that has spread it’s tentacles into the body politic to such a degree so as to become an entrenched phenomenon. Nay it has become part and parcel of everyday life.

It is well known that even for a file to moved in Government Departments palms have to greased. Whatever body is formed it will be a Herculean task to eradicate this evil that is eating into the vitals of society.

With incidents of bribery and corruption showing an alarming rise with even the hitherto white sepulchres such as the educational institutions tainted (the recent survey showing the Education sector surpassing the police Department to occupy the top of the list for Bribery) a radical change is needed by any body that comes into being to slay this hydra-headed monster.

Another aspect that should be taken cognisance of is that bribery and corruption today is not the simple oiling of the palm of an office peon or a court clerk for expediting a job. It has grown to such a degree as to become institutionalised and taken a firm grip on society. Bribery and corruption of course has undergone a sea change in concept and quantum. Today bribes involve mega bucks that could tempt even the most incorruptible.

As they say everything has it’s price. Therefore any new body as suggested by Justice Ismail should comprise persons who are well known for their high degree of honesty, integrity and who are above board in all respects. They should be persons who would not be influenced by any quarter or easily swayed into submission.

Such a body should ideally comprise persons of eminence in the corporate sector, respected ex-public servants or former members of the judiciary. Corruption needs to be tackled at the root so that the entire body politic could be cleansed of this evil. No doubt the wheeler dealer culture spawned by the open economy and liberalisation took bribery and corruption into new heights.

But what is of concern is the massive rip offs at State institutions and wheeler dealing that not only cause losses to these institutions but add on to the costs of goods and services provided by these bodies, impacting on the Cost of living. Any new body should deal not only with the micro but also the macro aspect of bribery and corruption as well.

It should strive to transform the public mindset with regard to bribery for without public corporation it would be next to impossible to tackle this problem. Whatever new initiative to fight the scourge a radical approach is needed. New laws should be drafted to impose stiff penalties for Bribery and corruption and a wide exposure of the perpetrators. More probity should be demanded from State Institutions which are havens for bribery and corruption.

It was only the other day that Transport Minister Dullus Alahapperuma referred to the Motor Traffic Department as having achieved a dubious name over the years as an institution wracked with corruption. This no doubt is only the tip of the iceberg. Some of our state institutions over the years have been synonymous with bribery and corruption so much so some of their big wigs live luxurious lifestyles not commensurate with their emoluments.

The proposed body should periodically investigate the assets of state sector bosses while it should be given the powers to probe all the mega deals entered into by state institutions. By such vigilance they could help keep a check on the cost of living which otherwise could be subjected to the vagaries of kick backs and other financial shenanigans.

Time was when cases of bribery and corruption were few and far between and the perpetrators were dealt with severely. One recall the famous case of an MP in the 1950s who had to vacate his seat after being arraigned for bribery. Have we ever seen similar action since then?

Surely there have been enough allegations and speculations since then against many MPs. This is where the new body could play a more pro-active role. It should be vested with sweeping powers to go for the big fish without let or hindrance. There should also be provision for a periodic scrutiny of assets of members of Parliament and Heads of State institutions.

Today only state institutions have a mechanism to arrest bribery and corruption and the private sector is immune from such scrutiny. It would be ideal if Transparency International also venture into this realm so that it would help present a true picture of the wide gamut of bribery and corruption in our midst.