MP vehicle permits and the loss of state revenue

Colombo (News1st): Civil Organizations allege MPs and Ministers have already imported luxury vehicles despite government calls for the public to cut down on expenses. Attorney-at-Law Nagananda Kodithuwakku has already sought the assistance of the courts with regard to the loss caused to the country as a result of the sale of vehicles imported under tax concessions. Kodituwakku states that most of the MPs who obtain the vehicle permit take steps to sell it immediately. He alleges that even people such as Minister of finance Mangala Samaraweera, former Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa and UNP General secretary Kabir Hashim are responsible for such acts. Kodittuwakky went onto state that justices are reluctant to hear this case and that a number of justices including Sisira De Abrew, Priyantha Jayawardena, Buwaneka Aluvihare and Anil Gunaratne have stepped away from the case. Attorney-at-Law Nagananda Kodituwakku revealed that a majority of the MPs imported vehicles in 2015 and 2016 and noted that there is no point in the Government announcing such a decision to ban the importation of vehicles 3 years after coming into office. He accused the MPs of looting the hard earned foreign exchange of Sri Lankan workers in the middle east to procure their vehicles using tax concessions.