Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2018-05-09

Amending the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act, No.25 of 2002

The Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act, No.25 of 2002 provides for combating trans‑national crimes and strengthening the prevention of crimes or internal investigation and confiscating the crimes proceeds. Approval of the Cabinet has been granted to amend the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act, No.25 of 2002, for identifying the offences relating to Money Laundering and the necessity of criminalizing the offences related to bribery outlined in Article 16 of the Convention of the United Nations against Bribery and Corruption and the recent developments pertaining to computer systems and data related criminal offences, reflecting the international obligations of Sri Lanka in the present context. As such, the proposal made by Hon. (Mrs.) Thalatha Atukorala, the Minister of Justice & Prison Reforms, to publish the Amendment Bill so formulated in the Government Gazette and to present the same, subsequently, in Parliament, for approval, was approved by the Cabinet.