Commission from emission certificates given to JHU - Wegapitiya

Thursday, 21 May 2015

The previous Rajapaksa regime introduced a law that makes annual emission certificates mandatory for all vehicles. Without that certificate, no legal matter relating to vehicles was possible. Accordingly, the private sector was allowed to open centres to issue emission certificates.

Several companies opened their centres to issue emission certificates, and Akbar Brothers and Laugfs Lanka are having the monopoly. That was no automatic happening, but that was done with the mediation of MP Namal Rajapaksa. As a mark of gratitude, Akbar Brothers and Laugfs Lanka gave him a Ferari and a Lamborghini. Under the present ‘Yaha Paalana’ government, this process comes under the purview of minister Patali Champika Ranawaka, who spoke at the election platform about robberies at the last presidential election and mega deals. However, the two companies are still enjoying the monopoly. There is suspicion that the minister has given into commissions offered by Akbar Brothers and Laugfs Lanka. Meanwhile, Laugfs Lanka owner Wegapitiya has said publicly on several occasions that just like in the past, they were treating the successors well, and that the monopoly of issuing emission cerficiates cannot be ended.

However, minister Ranawaka is yet to make any response to this claim. We are asking the minister to reject Wegapitiya’s claim. We also ask him to reveal the reasons, if he cannot reject, whether the president or any other top person in the government is exerting pressure on him.