Aluthgamage alleges major racket involving some Immigration and Emigration officials

MP turned back after wrongly identifying him as a criminal

Parliamentarian Mahindananda Aluthgamage yesterday (12) said that a comprehensive inquiry was needed to identify those who manipulated the Immigration and Emigration data system to allow wanted men to leave the country.

The former Minister said so responding to The Island query whether he intended to call for disciplinary action against Immigration and Emigration officers for turning him back at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) on Friday night.

After this was raised with Public Security Minister Tiran Alles, two officers at the BIA Immigration and Emigration counter were suspended pending an investigation.Lawmaker Aluthgamage said that the officers refused to allow him to proceed on the basis of a directive given by the Matugama Magistrate.

Subsequently, the Immigration and Emigration Department admitted that the officers based at the BIA acted on a court issued in respect of a criminal (name withheld).MP Aluthgamage alleged that Immigration and Emigration Department personnel appeared to have manipulated the system to allow wanted persons to leave the country. Those in charge of the system could have imposed a travel ban on anyone and at the same time cleared those hunted by the police.Responding to a query, MP Aluthgamage said that those at the BIA couldn’t have manipulated the system without the blessings of the Department (SF)