Ref: ACC/PR/20/018 19th June, 2020
MEDIA RELEASE
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) wishes to inform the general public that it has on Thursday June 18, 2020 conducted simultaneous sting operations on Four Mile, Six Mile and Mange Bridge COVID-19 checkpoints respectively.
The operations were intelligence-led, and are in response to the numerous public concerns that security officers manning the COVID-19 checkpoints are accepting bribes, to provide passage to vehicles without E-PASSES to ply the routes, which is in violation of the directives governing the inter-district lockdown.
In the course of the operations and at the Four Mile checkpoint, officers of the Commission arrested one military officer, who allegedly received Seventy Thousand Leones (70,000) as bribe to facilitate the passage of a vehicle that did not have an E-PASS.
At the Six Mile and Mange Bridge checkpoints, no officer was seen receiving bribes. However, it was clearly observed that, the security officers unlawfully allowed vehicles without E-PASSES to ply through, thereby compromising State security and undermining the COVID-19 response efforts. The ACC believes this is a matter the authorities in the security sector need to address and the ACC will work with them to put in place preventive measures.
The public will be promptly notified on progress relating to the investigation on the military officer who is likely to be referred to the Military justice system for administrative redress.
Meanwhile, the Commission wishes to further reassure the public of its continued commitment to controlling corruption at all levels, particularly in instilling integrity and sanity in the COVID-19 response activities.
For further enquiries, please contact Margaret Murray, Public Relations Officer of the Anti-Corruption Commission on +23278-832131 or via email info@anticorruption.gov.sl.
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PATRICK SANDI
DIRECTOR, PUBLIC EDUCATION AND EXTERNAL OUTREACH