The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of Sri Lanka has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) to enhance collaboration in tackling money laundering, bribery, corruption, and related offences.
The MOU was signed by Mr. Chethiya Goonasekera, PC, Commissioner of CIABOC, and Mr. Kanishka Wijeratne, Director General of CIABOC, along with Dr. Subhani Keerthiratne, Director of the FIU. The signing ceremony was chaired by Dr. P Nandalal Weerasinghe, Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) and Chairman of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) National Coordinating Committee. Mrs. K M A N Daulagala, Deputy Governor of the CBSL and a member of the AML/CFT Task Force, was also present.
This MOU is significant in the context of the new Anti-Corruption Act, No. 9 of 2023, which empowers CIABOC to share investigation-related information with local law enforcement and other government authorities. Similarly, under the Financial Transactions Reporting Act, No. 6 of 2006 (FTRA), the FIU is authorized to enter into MOUs with domestic government institutions for information exchange.
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) stated that this agreement will facilitate vital information sharing between CIABOC and the FIU, thereby bolstering efforts in the prevention, detection, and prosecution of financial crimes.
