Sri Lanka, Sept. 20 -- Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) has raised concern over the failure to grant the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) full financial and operational independence, cautioning that the delay undermines its credibility as the country's lead anti-graft institution.

"Without genuine autonomy over its finances and operations, the commission's ability to function as an effective and impartial anti-corruption body will remain compromised," TISL said in a statement.

The intervention comes after the Committee on Public Finance (COPF), chaired by lawmaker Harsha de Silva, approved the CIABOC's 2026 budget estimate earlier this month. While the COPF stressed the need for the CIAB...