Officials of the Intelligence Unit of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (CIABOC) told the Colombo Chief Magistrate Prasanna Alwis on Friday, December 8 that it has launched an investigation on the 200 luxury vehicles imported to Sri Lanka, depriving the Government of over Rs. 5 billion in tax revenue.

The luxury vehicles had been imported to Sri Lanka without proper Customs clearance by feeding false information to the computer data system of the Department of Motor Traffic.

The investigation revealed that each vehicle was imported to Sri Lanka under the guise of importing different materials and other types of vehicles.

According to the facts reported to the Court, the Government had lost Rs.50 million in tax revenue on a Toyota jeep improperly registered under the number KA 1141 and a Land Cruiser jeep registered under the number GF 8409.

The Land Cruiser which was imported to Sri Lanka in 2001 was brought for a diplomatic mission and the investigation revealed that it was registered with the Department of Motor Traffic in 2022 under the name of a private citizen.

The Toyota Jeep which had been registered on July 4, 2005 had not been issued a revenue licence nor a luxury vehicle tax imposed or number plates since December 22, 2015 and it was recorded that it had been brought…

to Sri Lanka as rubber based products.

The court agreed to the taking the vehicles, which are currently in the custody of private citizens, into the custody of the Customs for investigation under Sections 136 and 137 of the Customs Ordinance Act. The court put off further hearing for December 26.

Source – sundayobserver.lk