Committee Members Call for President Anura and Minister Bimal to Be Summoned as Witnesses

23-Apr-2026

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Members of the Parliamentary Special Committee investigating the release of 323 containers from the Colombo Port without physical inspection have urged that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Minister Bimal Ratnayake, Deputy Minister Ruwan Kodituwakku, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance be summoned as witnesses.

The request has been made in writing to the committee’s Chairman, Minister of Justice Harshana Nanayakkara, by committee members Ajith P. Perera, Dayasiri Jayasekara, Mujibur Rahman, and D.V. Chanaka.

They stressed that the President, in his capacity as Minister of Finance Planning and Economic Affairs, should testify before the committee. They also insisted that Minister Bimal Ratnayake, who served as Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation at the time of the incident, Deputy Minister Ruwan Kodituwakku, and the Finance Ministry Secretary should be called to provide evidence.

Additionally, they demanded that the report of a committee appointed by the President, as Finance Minister, regarding the Customs Department’s involvement and other matters related to the committee’s mandate, should also be submitted to the Parliamentary Special Committee.