Wijeweera of Customs who illegally sold the stock of palm oil ordered for destruction

Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama yesterday (23) ordered the release on bail of a former Sri Lanka Customs official who was arrested on charges of selling a container of palm oil, which was ordered to be destroyed after being confirmed unfit for human consumption, for forty lakhs rupees.

The person granted bail was D.K.D. Wijayaweera, a former director of the Central Abatement Division of Sri Lanka Customs. The Chief Magistrate ordered him two personal bails of ten lakhs rupees each, and additionally, took steps to ban his foreign travel.

This incident is based on five containers of palm oil, valued at over three crores rupees, imported in 2019. The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption informed the court that these containers, unloaded at the CICT terminal on January 25, 2019, were not cleared for over three months, leading the then Director General of Customs to order their destruction under the Customs Ordinance.

The Bribery Commission alleges that despite being slated for destruction, one of these containers was taken to the Peliyagoda area in July 2019 and sold to a businessman through a broker. As investigations are not yet complete, the commission requested the court to remand the suspect.

Attorney Ranjith Heellage, appearing for the suspect, pointed out to the court that the Attorney General has already filed indictments in the Colombo High Court regarding this incident, and there are seven defendants. The lawyer emphasized that in previous investigations conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department, the suspect had been remanded for 20 days and subsequently released on bail.

Furthermore, the defense lawyer stated that since statements have been recorded from approximately 79 individuals regarding this incident, the suspect cannot influence the witnesses. After considering the facts presented by both parties, the Magistrate granted bail to the suspect and ordered the Bribery Commission to report the progress of the relevant investigations to the court on July 21.