13 June 2021 02:03 pm
The National Peoples’ Power (NPP) said today they will be going to the Supreme Court next week against the moves to import 227 Prado SUVs for the MPs, claiming that it was illegal.
Former JVP Western Provincial Councillor Attorney-at-Law Sunil Watagala told a news conference that Letters of Credits (LCs) have been opened without Cabinet approval and that it was illegal.
He said the Cabinet Paper for the import of vehicles was presented on May 18 and added that the LCs had been opened on April 22.
“Cabinet Paper was presented on May 18 and it was rejected at the next Cabinet meeting on May 24. The Prime Minister said later that the Cabinet Paper was suspended. However, Cabinet Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said LCs have already been opened and it cannot be suspended now. These LCs were opened on April 22 by the Treasury Secretary through the Peoples Bank,” he said.
Mr. Watagala said the NPP was filing a case at the Supreme Court next week seeking an order to cancel the vehicle import.
“We will file the case based on two reasons. Firstly, we will point out that the move is illegal as LCs have been opened without Cabinet approval. Secondly, it is a violation of the Public Trust Doctrine to import vehicles when the country was badly in need of Covid vaccines and without funds to do it. According to the Public Trust Doctrine, the government is not the owners of the country but only custodians. The Court has ruled that in several cases such as in the Eppawala phosphate case and Senarath Vs Chandrika Kumaratunge case the Court has ruled that the government is only a custodian and cannot misuse power,” he said.
He asked if it was the Public Trust of the Government to import luxury vehicles when the people were without Covid vaccine and farmers are without fertilizer.
He also said they would seek in their petition either to cancel the LCs or sell the vehicles in public auction and transfer the funds to the treasury to be used for public wellbeing. (Ajith Siriwardana)