Customs, Pesticides Chiefs summoned to court

25 February 2012 05:57 am

The Customs Director General and Pesticides Registrar were yesterday directed to appear in the Colombo High Court on March 2 and show cause why they had released the arsenic and mercury contaminated fertiliser to the importers while a restraining order was in force.
 
Judge Kumudini Wickramasinghe gave this direction when the officer who represented the Customs Director General told court that the fertiliser had been released to the importers and that this was done before the court order was issued.
 
Petitioner’s counsel Ravindranath Dabare told court that on the day it had issued the restraining order the court had directed the High Court Registrar to convey the court order to the defendants over the phone, considering its importance to the people.
 
Mr. Dabare said at the time of the court order the fertiliser was in the custody of the customs.
 
The Centre for Environmental Justice, which is the petitioner in this case, alleged that the Customs Director General had retained the fertiliser in her custody but the Pesticides Registrar had directed her to release the contaminated fertiliser consignment to the market notwithstanding the danger to human beings and the environment.
 
The petitioner alleged that the customs had taken steps to release the fertiliser to the importers after levying a fine and that a part of the fine would be given to the customs officers who initiated the investigation. (T.Farook Thajudeen)