Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Leader, MP Rauff Hakeem, has called for the forensic report by the Auditor General on the controversial VFS e-visa deal to be submitted to Parliament. 

Addressing the Parliament, MP Hakeem said that the report by the Committee on Public Finance had mentioned that the Auditor General must submit a forensic audit on the loss that was to be incurred by the government due to this e-visa deal. 

MP Hakeem pointed out that the delay by the said officials to implement the Supreme Court order and the 16-year contract with a dubious company would have caused the government to lose almost US$ 3.4 billion in revenue. 

“The contract had been given to a dubious company registered in Dubai, using a company such as VFS Global as a front. The main matter is up for argument on 20th November, and we are yet to receive the forensic audit report by the Auditor General,” he said. 

He made the remarks in connection with the Supreme Court’s order yesterday to sentence former Controller General of Immigration & Emigration Harsha Illukpitiya to two years of imprisonment on contempt of court charges for failing to execute a court order tied to the controversial VFS e-visa deal.

The verdict was issued after taking up for consideration the petitions that had been filed by former ministers Rauff Hakeem and Patali Champika Ranawaka, along with former MP Sumanthiran.

Harsha Ilukpitiya has been in remand custody since September last year after the Supreme Court ordered him to be remanded for failing to implement the Court’s order regarding the controversial visa issuance system by the global visa processing service, VFS Global.

A probe launched by the Committee on Public Finance also found that VFS Global had been selected without calling for official bids, resulting in the Department of Immigration and Emigration losing out on receiving competitive rates for visa issuance.

In August last year, the Supreme Court issued an Interim Order temporarily halting the Cabinet’s decision to outsource its visa application process to GBS Technology Services & IVS Global- FZCO, a VFS VF Worldwide Holdings LTD-led consortium.

The court ordered the reinstatement of the previous quick Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) process, which the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration, Harsha Ilukpitiya, failed to comply with, resulting in his arrest. (Newswire)

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The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has sentenced former Controller General of Immigration & Emigration Harsha Illukpitiya to two years of imprisonment on contempt of court charges for failing to execute a court order tied to the controversial VFS e-visa deal.

In July this year, Harsha Illukpitiya unconditionally apologized to the Supreme Court, admitting to disregarding the court’s directive concerning the e-visa contract that drew widespread criticism over alleged corruption and irregularities.

Harsha Ilukpitiya has been in remand custody since September last year after the Supreme Court ordered him to be remanded for failing to implement the Court’s order regarding the controversial visa issuance system by the global visa processing service, VFS Global.

The visa issuance system by VFS Global and its charges came under the spotlight after a local passenger had raised concerns over the process, with the video of the incident widely circulated on social media.

A probe launched by the Committee on Public Finance also found that VFS Global had been selected without calling for official bids, resulting in the Department of Immigration and Emigration losing out on receiving competitive rates for visa issuance.

In August last year, the Supreme Court issued an Interim Order temporarily halting the Cabinet’s decision to outsource its visa application process to GBS Technology Services & IVS Global- FZCO, a VFS VF Worldwide Holdings LTD-led consortium.

The court ordered the reinstatement of the previous quick Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) process, which the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration, Harsha Ilukpitiya, failed to comply with, resulting in his arrest. (Newswire)

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