On Friday, Sri Lankan investigators started pulling data from the Department of Motor Traffic’s computer systems as part of a corruption investigation. The operation is being carried out by the Walana Anti‑Corruption Unit, with help from technical specialists at the University of Colombo School of Computing, Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team, GovTech Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka Telecom. They are looking for irregularities and possible fraud in the department’s digital records, which officials say may have occurred over an extended period.
The probe follows earlier clues of misconduct. In March, four current and former DMT officials were remanded on charges that included fraudulent vehicle registrations and the manipulation of computerized records. In June, Transport Minister Bimal Rathnayake told Parliament that findings by the Committee on Public Accounts and the Auditor General’s Department about alleged corruption at the DMT would be referred to the Attorney General’s Department and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption.
As of now, authorities have not released the results of the data examination or named any suspects linked to the operation. The investigation is still in its early stages, with the aim of uncovering corrupt practices that could undermine public trust in the motor traffic system.
