By Cheranka Mendis

Assistant Superintendent of Customs late Sujith Prasanna Perera was posthumously bestowed with the coveted National Integrity Award 2010 yesterday for the work he carried out in investigating frauds at Sri Lanka Customs prior to his death in 2001.Perera, who joined the Customs in 1989 after a stint in the field of finance, was gunned in March 2001 in Kelaniya as a result of a conspiracy by two Customs officers whose corrupt activities were exposed by him.

The award was received by his wife Angela Perera, from writer, activist and founding Editor of Himal Southasian and Himal Kabalapatrika Manak Mani Dixit, who was the Chief Guest at the event.

Commenting on Sri Lanka and its fight for a pluralistic democracy, Dixit stated that Nepal as a country had much to learn from Sri Lanka as it struggles to regain political and economical stability.

“Sri Lanka and South Asia are working towards nonviolent politics and active pluralism. Democracy in peace is also focused on. Sri Lanka knows its direction in the long run and is therefore a safe model to analyse,” Dixit said.

A Special Mention award was given to a Muslim Priest from Kinniya, M.Y. Hathiyathuilah. Hathiyathuilah serves as a school principal and Secretary of the Kinniya branch of the All Ceylon Jemiyyathul Ulama (Council of Muslim Theologians).

Investigative journalist Poddala Jayantha won the Global Integrity Award earlier this year, which was accepted by his parents at the event.

The event was held on International Anti Corruption Day, which fell yesterday, in the backdrop of Sri Lanka being the second country in the world to ratify the convention when the UN Convention Against Corruption opened for signatures on 9 December 2003.