Foreign garbage - Prez should ask CID to probe: Opposition

The Opposition today requested President Maithripala Sirisena to instruct the CID to launch an investigation into the foreign garbage issue.

Customs said more than 100 containers of garbage were imported by some BOI-registered companies from Britain.

MP Bandula Gunawardana told a news conference that the President should intervene to resolve this matter.

“He can direct the CID to find out who exactly imported the garbage and who gave them the permit to do so. We also request him to scrutinise the Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SL-S'pore FTA) further because it permits the import of garbage. No action can be taken against the import of garbage if this FTA comes into operation,” he said.

The MP said the imported garbage poses an environmental threat with it also being stored in close proximity to the Muthurajawela wetlands.

Meanwhile, he rejected allegations that it was the previous Rajapaksa government which allowed the import of garbage. “The 2013 gazette did not allow the import of garbage,” he said. (Lahiru Pothmulla)

Video by Suranjith