JVP files FR case over state losing Rs 15.9 billion in questionable steep duty reduction on sugar

JVP politburo member Sunil Handunnetti yesterday filed a Fundamental Rights petition in the Supreme Court, claiming that the state had incurred a loss of Rs. 15.9 billion due to an arbitrary reduction of the import duty on sugar.

The petition alleges that the fundamental rights of the people have been violated as the state failed to prevent the corrupt deal.

The petitioner has sought the apex court to order the Attorney General to institute legal action against those responsible for causing the losses to the state.

The petitioner has also requested the Supreme Court to order Finance Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and the respondents to take necessary measures to recover the losses and to recover Rs. 500 million as compensation.

Handunnetti and JVP Central Committee Member Sunil Watagala filed the complaint.

The Attorney General, on behalf of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister and Finance Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Secretary to the President P.B. Jayasundara, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance S. R. Attygalle, former CWE Chairman Nushad Perera, the importer Pyramid Wilma, its Chairman Sajath Mausoon, Consumer Affairs Authority Chairman Shantha Dissanayake and the Attorney General have been named as respondents in the petition.

The petitioner says the government has incurred a loss of Rs. 15.9 billion by reducing the import the duty on sugar imports to 25 cents from Rs. 50.00 per kilo. The Ministry of Finance has also reported the matter to Parliament. The duty reduction was effected to help a group of pro-government businessmen.

The Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance Anura Priyadarshana Yapa in January said that although the duty on the price of imported sugar had been lowered to 25 cents from Rs. 50.00 per a kilo through a gazette notification No. 2197/12 issued by the Ministry of Finance on 13th October 2020, consumers had not benefited.

The petitioner has requested the Supreme Court to rule that the respondents were responsible for causing the aforesaid loss to the public.

Handunnetti has also requested the Supreme Court to order the respondents to repay the amount of Rs. 15.9 billion the state has lost due to the reduction of sugar import duty and order the Attorney General to file cases against the respondents under the criminal law.

In addition, the petitioner requests the Supreme Court to issue an order to the respondents to pay Rs. 500 million as compensation to the petitioner for the violation of basic human rights.