Complainant party not present:

Proceedings against DCSL terminated

SARATH Malalasekera

The Consumer Affairs Council terminated proceedings against the Distillery Corporation of Sri Lanka (DCSL) after conducting an inquiry into a complaint made by W. M. Mendis and Company Limited.

The Consumer Affairs Council appointed by the Trade, Marketing Development, Cooperatives and Consumer Services Minister Bandula Gunawardena consists of Senior Attorney at Law Upali Senaratne, Chairman of the Consumer Affairs Council. The other members are

former Vice Chancellor of the Vidyodaya University Prof. P. Wilson and former District Judge Dilum de Abrew.

According to the complaint to the Consumer Affairs Council (CAC) by W.M. Mendis and Company Limited the manager of the Galagedara Wine Stores of Galagedara had been threatened and intimidated by an employee of the DCSL and the threats and intimidation had continued unabated.

The W.M. Mendis and Company Limited General Manager informed the CAA Acting Director General Deepthi Tissera that these threats and intimidations were violations of the rights of the manufacturer and requested the CAA to inquire into this matter.

This matter was referred by the Authority to the Council according to the Law.

The Council summoned both parties for an inquiry. When the matter was called Senior Attorney at Law Gomin Dayasiri, Senior Counsel for the DCSL, brought to the notice of the Council that similar frivolous allegations were made against the DCSL and the Fair Trading Commission had dismissed them.

The complainant party was not present and the Council Secretary L.P. Aryaratne read-out a letter sent by W.M. Mendis and Company Limited stating that they would not wish to proceed with this matter.

Council Chairman Upali Senaratne observed that this complainant company had caused a lot of inconvenience to the respondent company by making this type of unfounded allegation.

After lengthy proceedings Chairman Senaratne terminated the proceedings with the consent of the other members of the Council.

Senior Attorney Gomin Dayasiri with Vijayantha Senaratne appeared for the respondent Company DCSL.