Nearly four months have passed since a committee was appointed by the Ministry of Finance to investigate the controversial release of 323 containers from the Colombo Port without undergoing customs inspection. Yet, the report from this committee remains outstanding, with no clear timeline for its completion.
Deputy Minister of Ports, Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku, acknowledged that the investigation remains ongoing. However, he expressed confidence that the committee would soon finalize its findings and submit the report to the relevant authorities.
According to a senior customs official, the committee has already concluded its collection and analysis of evidence and is now in the final stages of compiling its report. Despite this progress, uncertainty persists over when the report will be officially handed over or made public.
The committee was established by the Ministry of Finance and is chaired by A.K. Seneviratne, the Deputy Secretary to the Treasury. Other members include E.M.S.B. Jayasundara, Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation; M.K.P. Kumara, Director General of the Department of Trade and Investment Policy; A.P. Kurumbalapitiya, Director General of the Department of Management Audit; and Sapumal Jayasundara, a Senior Director at Sri Lanka Customs.
At a recent press conference held at the Government Information Department, Customs Director General Sarath Nonis was asked to comment on the issue of the 323 containers. He refrained from providing specific details, citing the ongoing nature of the inquiry, but emphasized that Sri Lanka Customs had already submitted a comprehensive internal report to the committee.
In the political arena, opposition parties have accused Ports Minister Bimal Ratnayake of being directly involved in the unauthorized release of the containers. Deputy Minister Kodithuwakku dismissed these claims outright, attributing them to what he described as a lack of substantive issues for the opposition to criticize.
There are also allegations circulating within opposition circles suggesting that Customs may be deliberately concealing information about the contents of the containers and the identities of the importers. Responding to this, a senior official at Sri Lanka Customs clarified that such details cannot be disclosed publicly unless criminal activity is suspected. In such instances, he said, the relevant information is forwarded to law enforcement agencies like the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Beyond the 323 containers that were allegedly cleared through the “Green Channel” without inspection, the committee is also examining broader systemic delays at the Colombo Port. These delays led to a major backlog in January, leaving thousands of containers stuck at the port without clearance. Investigators are currently looking into whether this situation was the result of deliberate sabotage.
In a related statement, Channa Ranatunga, Chairman of the Customs Wharf Agents Association, confirmed that delays in the clearance of goods from container yards at Colombo Port are still ongoing. He attributed the sluggish pace to what he termed the indifferent attitude of Sri Lanka Customs officials.
Ranatunga noted that the full implementation of existing digital systems and the introduction of new digital solutions could drastically improve processing times and reduce operational costs. He further pointed out that the current infrastructure of container yards at the port is inadequate to accommodate the daily volume of incoming containers, highlighting the urgent need for capacity expansion.
