PAFFREL raises concerns over Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bill
Executive Director of People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) Rohana Hettiarachchi yesterday (28) said that there were three major concerns regarding the Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bill 2026. Acknowledging the recent Supreme Court determination, in respect of the above-mentioned Bill, that three of the provisions were not consistent with the Constitution, requiring a special…
PAFFREL, a coalition advocating for free and fair elections, has voiced three significant concerns regarding the proposed Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bill 2026, despite the recent Supreme Court ruling that three of its provisions conflict with the Constitution. The coalition, led by Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi, chose to communicate these concerns to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake after the court's decision.
Hettiarachchi and Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) were among the petitioners who challenged the amendments to the Anti-Corruption Act No. 9 of 2023. The coalition's main concerns include the potential erosion of freedom of expression due to the broad scope of the proposed redaction power, the raising of the State or public-corporation shareholding threshold for certain asset declaration obligations, and the concentration of power on one individual, the Director General Ranga Dissanayake.
This comes as an International Monetary Fund mission, led by Evan Papageorgiou, visited Sri Lanka recently, warning that the proposed amendments could weaken the country's anti-corruption framework.
Written by urgent.news from The Island Sri Lanka's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
