Ports and Civil Aviation Minister Anura Karunathilaka has resigned from the Parliamentary Special Committee appointed to investigate the release of 323 containers from the Colombo Port without mandatory physical inspection.
The committee, chaired by Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara, met in Parliament on the 11th for its third session to examine the matter and submit recommendations.
At the outset, it was announced that Minister Karunathilaka had stepped down from the committee and that a replacement member would be appointed.
Sri Lanka Customs Director General Seewali Arukgoda and other officials appeared before the committee to provide evidence related to the incident.
Deputy Ministers Chathuranga Abeysinghe, Sunil Watagala and Arkam Ilyas, and MPs Dayasiri Jayasekara, Ajith P. Perera, D.V. Chanaka, Mujibur Rahuman, Najith Indika and Lakmali Hemachandra were among those present.