Minister of Ports resigns from committee probing container release incident at Colombo Port

2026-02-13 - 15:59

The Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation, Anura Karunathilaka, has resigned from the Parliamentary Select Committee appointed to inquire into the release of 323 containers from the Port of Colombo without being subjected to mandatory physical inspection. The Parliamentary Select Committee tasked with investigating the release of the 323 containers without compulsory physical checks, reporting on the matter, and submitting its proposals and recommendations, met for the third consecutive day on the 11th at the Parliament of Sri Lanka, under the chairmanship of Minister of Justice and National Integration, Attorney-at-Law Harshana Nanayakkara. At the meeting, the Minister informed the committee that he had stepped down from its membership. Accordingly, the Chairman informed the committee, prior to the commencement of evidence recording, that another member would be appointed to replace him in due course. For the committee session, a group of officials from Sri Lanka Customs, including Director General Seevali Arukgoda, were summoned, and evidence relating to the incident was recorded. Members of Parliament who attended the committee meeting included Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chathuranga Abeysinghe; Deputy Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, Attorney-at-Law Sunil Watagala; Deputy Minister of Power and Energy Arkam Ilyas; and Hon. Members of Parliament Attorney-at-Law Dayasiri Jayasekara, Ajith P. Perera, D. V. Chanaka, Mujibur Rahuman, Dr Najith Indika, and Attorney-at-Law Lakmali Hemachandra.