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The Attorney General (AG) has notified the Court of Appeal that the National Procurement Commission of Sri Lanka is investigating the procedure followed by the previous government in awarding the tender for the procurement of 5 million electronic passports for the Department of Immigration and Emigration.
This update was conveyed to the court by Additional Solicitor General Sumathi Dharmawardena, representing the Attorney General, during the hearing of a petition filed by Epic Lanka Private Limited. The petition challenges the prior administration’s decision to procure 750,000 regular passports and 5 million e-passports from two foreign companies. The hearing took place on Tuesday (03).
Additionally, the Additional Solicitor General informed the court that the National Procurement Commission has sought a week to present its observations concerning the ongoing investigation. Consequently, he requested the court to schedule a date to report on the progress of the inquiry.
Meanwhile, President’s Counsel K. Kanageeswaran, appearing on behalf of several defendant companies, urged the bench to set a date to deliberate on his client’s application to lift the injunction that currently restricts the purchase of the passports.
In response, the Court of Appeal has scheduled the matter for further consideration on January 23, 2025.
