Sri Lankan journalist Attotage Prema Jayantha, commonly known as Poddala Jayantha was chosen to receive the award with two other individuals for his 'dedication to exposing injustice in Sri Lanka's health, education and transport sectors over a period of two decades,' the TI said in a statement.
"Poddala effectively used his pen to fight corruption and promote good governance in Sri Lanka. Despite making powerful enemies, the activist in Poddala did not allow stories to be simply printed and then be forgotten," Sion Assidon, Chair of the Integrity Awards Committee has said.
According to the TI one of Poddala Jayantha's reports uncovered what some officials have called Sri Lanka's biggest ever tax scam, involving the alleged misappropriation of RS 3.6 billion (US $37 million) in Value Added Tax.
Poddala Jayantha who was Secretary of the Sri Lanka Working Journalists' Association, was kidnapped and assaulted by an unidentified group in June 2009. He fled Sri Lanka after the attack and lives in exile now.
Transparency International's Integrity Awards recognize the courage and determination of the individuals and organizations confronting corruption around the world, often at great personal risk.
A Moscow-based lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky and a Gabonese activist Gr.gory Ngbwa Mintsa are the other two recipients of the award.
J.C. Weliamuna, member of the TI Board of Directors and Executive Director of TI Sri Lanka will accept the award on behalf of Jayantha at a ceremony in Bangkok, Thailand.
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