Najith Indika, a member of the National People’s Power, stated that there was no valid justification to summon four witnesses requested by the opposition before the Parliamentary Special Committee probing the release of 323 containers from the Colombo Port without mandatory inspection.
He explained that the opposition had failed to demonstrate the relevance of the proposed witnesses to the ongoing investigation. According to him, the committee has been following a structured and systematic process, and any new witnesses must be clearly linked to the inquiry. He added that the government side is open to reconsidering the request if the opposition can establish the relevance of those individuals in the coming days.
Responding to claims by Ajith P. Perera, Indika denied that a vote had been held to reject the request, describing such assertions as misleading. He emphasized that political interference would not be allowed to undermine the integrity of the investigative process.
Indika further accused the opposition of attempting to damage the credibility of the Parliamentary Select Committee.
The remarks come after Ajith Perera alleged that a request to summon key figures, including President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and several current and former officials, had been defeated by a majority vote. Opposition members maintain that their testimony is crucial to clarify the circumstances surrounding the release of the 323 containers without proper inspection.
