PoliticsEconomyHOTWednesday, April 22, 2026

Parliamentary Committee Rejects Opposition's Call for President's Testimony on Uninspected Containers

TLDR

Probe committee rejected summoning President Dissanayake on 323 uninspected containers.
Opposition MPs allege government obstruction, citing 8-4 committee vote.
NPP MP Indika states opposition failed to provide valid reasons.
Bimal Rathnayake and other officials also not summoned for Jan 2025 incident.

The special Parliamentary Select Committee probing the controversial release of 323 containers from Colombo Port without mandatory physical inspection recently saw a proposal by opposition members rejected. Opposition MPs Ajith P. Perera, Dayasiri Jayasekara, Mujibur Rahuman, and D.V. Chanaka had requested the committee summon President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his capacity as Minister of Finance, along with other key officials, to provide evidence. However, this proposal was rejected by a majority vote of government-aligned members during a recent sitting. The committee's mandate is to investigate the incident, present its findings, and offer recommendations and proposals regarding the uninspected containers.

3 Updates

Update #4\u00b7 Apr 23 · 11:47 AM

National People’s Power (NPP) MP Najith Indika stated that the opposition failed to provide valid reasons to summon the requested witnesses before the Parliamentary Special Committee. Indika's comments offer a new perspective on the committee's decision to reject the opposition's request.

Update #3\u00b7 Apr 23 · 9:01 AM

SJB MP Mujibur Rahuman held a press conference on April 23rd, alleging that the government is obstructing the investigation into the 323 uninspected containers. Rahuman reiterated the opposition's stance that the President should testify as the minister overseeing Sri Lanka Customs, and former Ports Minister Bimal Rathnayake as the Ports Minister at the time of the incident, which occurred in January 2025. The opposition had previously detailed that the President should be summoned as the minister in charge of the Finance Ministry, which oversees Sri Lanka Customs, and Bimal Rathnayake as the Ports Minister at the time of the incident.

Update #2\u00b7 Apr 22 · 2:18 PM

Opposition MP Ajith P. Perera revealed that the Parliamentary Special Committee rejected the request to summon key witnesses for the probe into 323 uninspected containers. The request was rejected by government-representing members through a majority vote, with the committee comprising 8 government MPs and 4 opposition MPs. In addition to the President, the opposition had also proposed summoning Bimal Rathnayake (former Ports Minister), Ruwan Kodithuwakku (Deputy Ports Minister), and the Secretary to the Ministry of Ports. The committee meeting on April 22nd was marked by heated debates.

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