A group of officers from the Panadura Anti-Corruption Unit have succeeded in gathering information about a racket of assembling and selling motorcycles with imported motorcycle parts.

Police said 41 such motorcycles were seized while checking three motorcycle showrooms in Maspotha and Wariyapola in Kurunegala.

Police said 48CC and Mowad motorcycles were assembled in this manner and it’s valued at close to Rs.20 million.

During interrogation it was revealed that the racket was carried out by a businessman who imports motorcycle parts in Kurunegala.

Investigations revealed that the government lost a massive amount of tax revenue due to the racket.

The buyers said they are unable to register the motorcycles bought from the showrooms and extensive investigations are underway regarding the racket.

(News1st)

(This story, originally published by News1st has not been edited by SLM staff)

Convenor of the Teacher – Principal Trade Union Alliance – Ven. Ulapane Sumangala Thero and 04 others have been granted bail under strict conditions by the Colombo Additional Magistrate today (April 26).

They were remanded for attempted disturbance against implementing a Court order.

Colombo Additional Magistrate – Keminda Perera yesterday (April 25) ordered the Criminal Investigation Department to complete the investigation regarding the Xpress Pearl incident and report the facts to the court immediately.

The magistrate also ordered that the audio tapes containing conversations between the stricken vessel and its local agent, to be submitted before the court.

However, the State Counsel who appeared on behalf of the CID when the case was taken up on Thursday (25), has sought a period of one month, in order to present facts in relation to the investigations.

The lawyers representing the captain of the destroyed ‘X-Press Pearl’ ship and the directors of the relevant local agent, who have been named as respondents of the case, noted that a trial with regard to the maritime calamity is already underway before the Colombo High Court.

They have also raised questions concerning the need for conducting further investigations into the same incident against this backdrop.

(Source : Aruna)