Willing to withdraw case to expedite the return of imported garbage - Centre For Environmental Justice

COLOMBO (News 1st):- Venerable Pahiyangala Ananda Sagara Thero says that he is willing to withdraw the case filed at the Court of Appeal if it delays the re-export of the garbage stored at the Katunayake Free Trade Zone. The Court of Appeal issued an order preventing the re-export of the garbage containers until the 31st of this month. The Centre For Environmental Justice filed a case at the Court of Appeal over the containers carrying the waste material, and the Court of Appeal granted leave to proceed with the action. The respondents of the case were issued notices to appear before the court on September 20th. The respondents named in the petition are Hayleys Free Zone Limited, E.T.L. Colombo Pvt. Ltd., Board of Investments, the Central Environmental Authority, the Director-General of Customs and the Attorney General. The Central Environmental Authority had previously stated that there could be delays in the re-export of the garbage due to the interim injunction from the Court of Appeal. On the 19th of this month, Chairman of the Central Environmental Authority, Isura Devapriya said that they have informed the responsible parties to send the containers out fo the country immediately. He further said that a non-governmental organization have taken the matter to courts and that however, the containers will be sent out of the country once the case is over. Ven. Pahiyangala Ananda Sagara Thero the Chairman of the Surakimu Sri Lanka Organization speaking on the matter said that all of these companies must be held responsible for this matter and that they must be fined for this and an order should be issued to send all these containers to whatever country that it was brought from. He further said that complaints have been filed against all three of these companies at the police headquarters and that all names and details of containers were also handed over a month ago, however, yet there have been no investigations conducted into the matter and neither have they been called over for a statement. He claims that these companies have become strong enough to overpower the police of the country since they say that these containers cannot be sent abroad until the case is over. The Thero said that if these companies are trying to hide behind this case and claim that they cannot re-export the containers until the case is over, that they are willing to withdraw the case and that if it still does not solve matters that they will do what is necessary afterwards. Meanwhile, many parties allege that the import of garbage into the country is a well co-ordinated operation and not a mere coincidence. Attorney-at-law Janaka, says that there is a possibility that these containers could be freed from the tax that is imposed by the customs and that if the garbage is dumped here, what did these containers carry back to the respective countries remains a question. He says that it could possibly be money laundering or something illegal. He added that this gazette notification provides more than enough room for large corporations to launder black money in Sri Lanka and abroad through such operations.   https://youtu.be/VnmbTcVfims