Eight containers containing used vehicle parts released from the Customs to its consignee who is engaged in vehicle assembling was based on a decision made by the Cabinet of ministers on the basis of legal advice given by the Attorney General.
This Cabinet decision was communicated to the Sri Lanka Customs by the Secretary to Treasury and not at the will of the Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, as certain parties with vested interests were trying to mislead the public with motives of tarnishing the image of the minister.
A private company called Vehicle Lanka Pvt Ltd which is engaged in assembly of vehicles making use of the used spare parts commenced its operation after 2005. Since then, as they encountered with numerous legal barriers they had filed over 20 court cases and FR applications in the Supreme Court, a ministry release stated.
The release added: "One such Fundamental Right case filed in 2012 has been amicably settled with the Transport Ministry and as a result the company was given permission by the then Commissioner of Motor Traffic to engage in vehicle assembling. As even this decision meted out with barricades, the company had filed a case against the Commissioner of Motor Traffic too.
The Supreme Court decision on the last FR case No 304 filed in 2011, was delivered in 2015 and the Cabinet appointed a Sub- committee appointed in this regard under the chairmanship of Transport Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva after having considered the legal opinion from the Attorney General decided to give three year concession to the company to be engaged in vehicle assembling business on the condition of withdrawing all the pending court cases.
The Finance Ministry as these actions come under its purview, in October 2016 submitted a paper to the Cabinet of ministers for its consideration but not due to any personal interest on the part of Minister Karunanayake to help an individual company.
It has been brought to the minister's notice that certain politicians and media are engaged in tarnishing his image with malicious intention to portray that he is trying to help this particular company."
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