• CSO claims ‘lethargy’ on the part of Customs, seeks Prez’s & PM’s intervention & Court order directing DMT to act on those possessing said vehicles  

A civil society organisation (CSO) is planning to lodge a complaint with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) in connection with the alleged duty fraud involving 1,728 Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) vehicles, and is seeking the higher authorities’ intervention, including those of the President’s and the Prime Minister’s, against the Sri Lanka Customs administration for its lethargy in investigating the matter.

The complaint to the CIABOC will specifically seek legal action to obtain a Court order ordering the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) to take appropriate action concerning those who are currently in possession of these vehicles, since these vehicles have been imported in an illegal manner and because keeping such goods is also illegal.

Parallelly, the Citizens of the People’s Struggle organisation is in the process of writing to the President, the Prime Minister, certain Parliamentarians including Cabinet Ministers, the Opposition Leader, the Speaker of the Parliament, the Auditor General, the Central Bank Governor, and other relevant authorities in a bid to direct their attention to the matter.

The case involves allegedly importing 1,728 BMW vehicles under concessionary duty permits, which are generally issued to public officials, when in reality those vehicles were not imported by the permit holders. Earlier, it was alleged that the Customs had ignored or suppressed the matter, which is said to involve a Rs. 16 billion duty fraud, causing a massive loss to the State coffers. Transparency related concerns have also been raised by various parties regarding the matter, highlighting the importance of an impartial investigation.

The organisation’s General Secretary, Chanaka Bandara told The Daily Morning that a fresh Customs-led investigation has been launched as per a Court of Appeal directive issued last month (May). However, in response to the civil society organisation’s queries, the Customs Director General (DG) P.B.S.C. Nonis has said that the private company implicated in the alleged duty fraud has not taken part in the investigation on 27 May, and has not cited any reasons for its absence, and that the investigation has therefore been postponed to 25 June. Bandara further said that although a Right to Information request has been submitted seeking certified copies of the original invoices relating to the BMW vehicles in question, the Customs is yet to respond to the request.

Last month, civil society activists held a protest in front of the Customs’ headquarters in Colombo, where they handed over a letter addressed to the Customs DG demanding immediate action regarding the matter. The activists warned that the failure to take prompt action would result in intensified opposition.

The Daily Morning’s attempts to contact Sri Lanka Customs officials yesterday (11) to discuss the matter proved futile.