The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) plans to open 23 regional offices across the country by December, in a bid to put its complaint-and-prosecution machinery within reach of the public outside Colombo.
Director General Ranga Dissanayake said the new branches would accept bribery and corruption complaints, gather evidence and file action in their own jurisdictions. Members of the public are currently forced to travel to Colombo to lodge complaints and submit material to investigators.
A total of 971 officers will be allocated to the regional branches, including a team of legal officers, Dissanayake said. CIABOC is currently identifying buildings and locations in which to open the offices.
The rollout would mark the biggest physical expansion of the commission since it was established and signals a shift away from a Colombo-centred enforcement model. CIABOC has been under sustained pressure this year over delays in handling new corruption complaints and the pace of its asset-declaration enforcement.
The commission disclosed earlier this month that it had received 3,349 complaints and made 70 arrests in 2026 so far. It has also stepped up enforcement of the asset declaration regime ahead of the June 30 deadline, warning state officials of strict action over failure to file declarations.
Source: NewsFirst
