Colombo Chief Magistrate Thilina Gamage yesterday (19) issued notices to four former Motor Traffic Department (MTD) officers and four others currently working in the (MTD) to appear in Court on November 29 in connection to the case of 200 vehicles imported to Sri Lanka, depriving the Government of over Rs. 5 billion in tax revenue.

Officials of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (CIABOC) told the Court that the investigations on the matter is still ongoing.

The Bribery Commission also informed the Court that vehicles imported in 2020/2018 were entered into the information system as they were registered in 2002/2003 and the vehicles had got released without paying tax to the Customs.

The Bribery Commission informed the court that during the investigations conducted by the Bribery Commission in relation to this incident, 16 jeeps have been found so far and about 200 more jeeps are to be investigated. The Magistrate ordered the Bribery Commission to seize the other vehicles and produce them to the Court and collect the taxes owed to the government. Pointing out that it is the Commission’s responsibility to immediately arrest the suspects who caused loss to the government and present them to the court, the Magistrate also ordered the arrest of the suspects as well.

(dailynews.lk)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by News1st has not been edited by SLM staff)