Harmful chemicals in liquor: Excise Dept. rejects allegations; consumer rights group warns legal action

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Excise Commissioner (Law Enforcement) Kapila Kumarasinghe yesterday (09) said that a countrywide investigation was underway to ensure arrack producers maintained required standards and action would be taken against those who had violated the license issued to them.

The Excise Commissioner said so when The Island sought his response to accusations that Isopropanol aka Isopropyl used for cleaning purposes had been found in the products of the Royal Ceylon Distilleries Pvt. Limited (formerly Wayamba Distilleries Pvt. Ltd.) and Synergy Distilleries Pvt. Ltd.

Strongly denying accusations that the Excise Department was trying to cover up the detection made recently, Kumarasinghe emphasized that those who propagated lies conveniently forgot that they were commenting on an ongoing investigation. “If we want to suppress information, why on earth did the Excise Department undertake countrywide sampling of liquor products,” Kumarasinghe asked.

The National Movement for Consumer Rights Protection, in a statement issued on Wednesday (08) urged the Excise Department to cancel the licenses issued to those who had been found guilty of issuing products injurious to health. The outfit’s President, Ranjith Vithanage said that unless the licenses were revoked, he would soon move court against the Excise Department.

Kumarasinghe said that they were still in the process of carrying out the countrywide sampling. “We are not targeting any particular producer but are engaged in verifying the quality of various products,” Kumarasinghe said.

Responding to another query, the senior Excise official said that law enforcement authorities hadn’t been involved in the investigation and certainly the investigation process was still underway.

Pointing out that the culprits had been revealed thanks to sampling done by the Government Analyst Department recently, Vithanage said that Isopropanol aka Isopropyl was imported as a raw material for the production of anti-covid disinfectant spray.

Vithanage said that the crux of the matter was the failure on the part of the Excise Department to inform the public of the detection made by the Government Analyst’s Department which comes under the purview of the Justice Ministry.

Vithanage asked whether the Excise Department sought to protect the two distilleries because both were previously owned by a former minister of the incumbent dispensation. The civil society activist vowed not to allow those who produced harmful products as well as Excise Department hell-bent on protecting two distilleries to escape.

Kumarasinghe, who is also the Excise Department’s media spokesperson strongly, defended the conduct of the department. The social media and various other interested parties engaged in highly disruptive exercises at the expense of those who honestly performed their duties, Kumarasinghe said. Had there been some wrongdoing, the Department wouldn’t hesitate to take action in line with procedures in place to deal with such situations.