A disclosure from a customs officer regarding 323 containers

The Parliamentary Special Committee investigating the release of 323 containers from the Colombo Port without any physical inspection questioned another former high-ranking official of Sri Lanka Customs yesterday (03).

It is reported that the former Customs chief has admitted before the committee that certain shortcomings occurred during the process of releasing the said consignment of containers from the port. Meanwhile, the committee also decided yesterday to summon only the parties directly involved in this incident to inquire about information in the future.

This special committee, which met in Parliament yesterday under the chairmanship of Mr. Harsha Nanayakkara, Attorney-at-Law, Minister of Justice and National Integration, has already recorded statements from about ten individuals. In addition to former heads of Sri Lanka Customs, former Minister Attorney-at-Law Udaya Gammanpila and prominent social activist Nagananda Kodithuwakku are also among those who have been questioned.

The final report of the committee related to this investigation is scheduled to be submitted to Parliament within two months from the date of their first meeting. It was also clearly stated in the report submitted to Parliament in June 2025 by a committee appointed by the Ministry of Finance to investigate this matter, that the release of these 323 containers, classified under the Red Channel, without customs inspection was a wrongdoing.