The Island-
Close on the heels of our expose that the majority of 60 newly elected Parliamentarians have sold their duty free vehicle permits (CIF value of US$ 50,000) for as much as Rs. 12 to Rs. 17 million, it is revealed that five more MPs have sold their permits. They include two cabinet ministers.
Sources told The Island that one of the ministers had sold his duty free vehicle permit for Rs. 15 million and the other’s permit had gone for Rs. 12.5 million.
The Island learns that 51 luxury vehicles have already been purchased and 65 duty free permits sold. Some 58 UPFA MPs have been given Toyota Prado worth Rs. 17.5 mn to supervise development work in their respective areas.
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Sumedha Jayasena told The Island that she had not received any complaints regarding the sale of duty free permits. She said that 198 out of 225 MPs had been issued with duty free vehicle permits and each of them had been given a bank loan for Rs. 5 mn.