The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has accused the government of failing to take action against officials allegedly linked to internal corruption, while appointing them to senior positions in the state sector.
Speaking on the matter, SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahman alleged that a senior Customs official who was responsible for the release of 323 containers from the Colombo Port without physical inspection was appointed to a high-ranking government position after retiring.
Rahman questioned the appointment, claiming that it was inconsistent with the government’s stated commitment to good governance and accountability.
The controversy centres on 323 containers that were reportedly released from the Colombo Port without proper physical inspection. Some of the containers were reportedly marked with red labels, raising concerns over whether they may have contained illegal firearms, narcotics or bio-hazardous materials that could pose a threat to the country and its environment.
Opposition MPs have also raised concerns over the delay in releasing the report of a Parliamentary Select Committee appointed to investigate the container clearance incident.
According to the SJB, more than two months have passed since the committee was appointed, while the findings have yet to be made public.
The opposition stressed that the public has a fundamental right to know what was contained in the containers that were released without proper inspection and called for greater transparency and accountability over the incident.
