Finance Ministry requests CID to probe into auction of illegally imported ‘Hummer’

The Finance Ministry has requested the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to investigate the controversial auction sale of a confiscated ‘Hummer’ vehicle that had been illegally imported to Sri Lanka.

Issuing a statement, the Finance Ministry noted that Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena yesterday handed over a written request in this regard to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) on the instructions of State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya.

The ‘Hummer’ had been illegally imported to Sri Lanka in February and the vehicle had thereafter been declared State property. 

However, during the State auction, the ‘Hummer’ had been sold to the person who had illegally imported the vehicle.

The confiscated vehicle had been auctioned to the same person who had illegally imported the vehicle thereby, on a directive issued by the IGP; the CID is set to launch an investigation into the matter.

State Minister Siyambalapitiya had ordered Sri Lanka Customs to submit a report on the incident and based on the recommendations of the report steps have been taken to hand over the probe to the CID.