The National People’s Power (NPP) Government has embarked on a strategy of placing its version of an ‘anti-corruption’ drive as the main governmental focus in the first year of it being in office. While there are many issues which plagues Sri Lanka, the public appetite and State focus is clearly seen to be geared towards combatting – or at least trying to combat corruption and malpractice. According to some in the Government, it is the first step in the JVP-led NPP’s long-term plan to effect a cultural change and thereby a ‘system change’ in Sri Lanka.
This week, the Ministry of Public Security told The Daily Morning that between 2,000 to 3,000 Police officers are under alleged misconduct including links to the drug trade and organised crime. This, according to Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala, has been since the NPP came to power. He claimed that the Government has taken all necessary steps to act against officers involved in various forms of misconduct. “We take action against any Police officer who engages in drug- or organised crime-related activities. So far, 2,000 to 3,000 investigations have been initiated against such officers. The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) takes prompt action whenever an allegation is made.”
As a result of these investigations, Wijepala said that 50-60 Police officers have been suspended from duty, and that cases have been filed against many others. “We don’t protect anyone like previous governments did. If an officer is involved in misconduct, they’re being dealt with through the proper channels. Some have already been arrested and remanded.”
While there have been some efforts to curb corruption within the Police Department in the past, the political will to follow through has always been found to be wanting.
Over the last decade, there have been hundreds, or even thousands of reported incidents of police misconduct; including having links to drug dealers and organised crime groups, assaults on suspects, deaths in custody, and illegal detentions. Today, many have little or no respect for the Police. The Police Department is widely believed to be ineffective, and a haven for crooks, and politicised cops, that often use the law as they please. As unpalatable as it may be, that is the widely held public perception. Minister Wijepala says the Government is trying to tackle the issue. “We receive a large number of complaints against officers, including those under investigation by the SIU, Fundamental Rights petitions, Human Rights Commission inquiries, and performance-related concerns. We are addressing these issues and doing our best to improve discipline of the Police,” the minister stated to the media recently.
It remains to be seen how far the NPP will push the anti-corruption agenda to reform the law enforcement community, and if they would have the political will to extend it to the judicial institutions and agencies like the Prison’s Department and Attorney General’s Department. Another area where malpractice and corruption is often brushed under the carpet is in the medical profession, where the existing mechanism for accountability is widely held as inadequate.
Addressing corruption in law enforcement is essential to maintain public order and the rule of law, to support the legitimacy of the State and to maintain or restore public trust in democratic processes and institutions. Since the considerable powers entrusted to law enforcement officers can be easily manipulated for private gain or political purposes, there are many linkages between police corruption and human right abuses that can further undermine internal security and aid abuses of civil and political rights. In many countries, Governments perform integrity checks on key State officials, prime amongst them are law enforcement officials. Such tactics are also supported by international organisation such as the United Nations, and INTERPOL. Integrity tests are often simulated events that place a Police officer unwittingly in a monitored situation with an opportunity for unethical decision making. It is high time that the Government introduced such integrity tests for law enforcement, corrections and also for officials in the public service to deter, identify and prosecute corruption and malpractice. The NPP has the mandate to enact such changes to achieve the ‘system change’ they promised. Now they have to act on the promises.