MPs’ luggage to be scanned by Customs at VIP lounge

Passenger luggage passing through the VIP lounge at the Bandaranaike International Airport, including those of parliamentarians, will be scanned by Customs.

The move is the direct outcome of gold and mobile telephones being smuggled into Sri Lanka by Puttalam District parliamentarian Ali Sabri Raheem, last Tuesday.

Those passing through or arriving via the VIP lounge, like the existing procedure, will be cleared. However, thereafter, Customs will put their baggage through a scanning machine for any possible contraband or prohibited goods, a senior official said.

For this purpose, a machine will be placed in the VIP lounge. At present, MPs are the biggest users of the lounge.

The MPs have proposed that the PSC consisting of 15 members be appointed to look into and report to Parliament on the former AG’s remarks. The PSC’s report should be presented to Parliament within two months of its appointment, they propose.

Meanwhile, an interim order preventing the arrest and recording of a statement Mr. de Livera made regarding his comments was recently extended till June 22 based on a petition he filed before the Court of Appeal.

Mr. de Livera claimed the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) had issued summons to record a statement from him and maintained that the police were not vested with powers to question his activities during his tenure as AG. He said it was a violation of the AG’s privileges.

The TID issued summons on the former AG on April 19 and 21. He did not respond and his lawyer submitted a seven-page letter on his behalf to the TID.