267 persons booked for corruption
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority has filed as many as 118 charge-sheets against 267 persons including 223 public post holders, at the Special Court during the first quarter of the current fiscal 2019-20.
According to a report released by the anti-graft body, it filed 29 cases until mid-July, 49 cases until mid-August and 40 cases until mid-September. Cases related to on the spot arrest while receiving bribe topped the chart (67), followed by financial irregularities (40) and fake academic credentials (11). Those facing the charge were two gazetted special class officers, six joint secretaries, 20 under-secretaries, 91 section officers or equivalent, 88 non-gazetted first class officers or equivalent, 19 classless employees and 44 middlemen colluding with government officials. The CIAA said as many as 67 persons were arrested with bribe money they received from service-seekers in its 62 sting operation, an increase by around 41 per cent compared to corresponding period of last fiscal. Despite repeated warnings by the CIAA against public post holders about its intensified sting operation, bribery continues unabated at government offices.
A report published by the CIAA recently stated that it mobilised its employees in corruption-prone public offices, posing as service-seekers for integrity test of the concerned officials. Micro-surveillance and rapid action procedures have been implemented to swing into action against government employees involved in irregularities and corruption. It is expected to improve the public service delivery system by controlling corrupt tendency of officials, said the CIAA. The anti-graft body said it had also strengthened its information analysis unit to pursue reform, transparency and good governance in the public service sector. Top government offices prone to corruption included land revenue office, survey office, inland revenue office, municipality/rural municipality office, water supply office, district administration office, district education office, transport management office, district police office and district agriculture development office.
