Ven. Medille Pangaloka There and two lawyers today filed a writ petition in the Court of Appeal seeking an order in the nature of a Writ of Mandamus directing the Inspector General of Police to investigate the release of the contaminated coconut oil to the market for human consumption. The petitioners are further seeking an order to initiate legal action against the wrongdoers.
Ven. Medille Pangaloka There and Attorney-at-law Dasun Nagashena and Attorney-at-law Janaka Hewasinghe filed this petition naming Director General of Health Services Dr Asela Gunawardene, Chairman of Sri Lanka Standard Institution Nushad Perera, Director General of Sri Lanka Standard Institution Dr Siddhika Senarathne and several others as respondents.
The petitioners are also seeking an order annulling the appointments of Nushad Perera, Dr Siddhika Senarathne, Maj.Gen. D.M.S. Dissanayaka, M.L.D. Niroshana as the Chairman of Sri Lanka Standard Institution, Director General of Sri Lanka Standard Institution, Chairman of Consumer Affairs Authority and Chairman of Coconut Development Authority respectively.
The petitioners are further seeking an order preventing the authorities from importing coconut oil mixed with any other oil.
The petitioners stated that the authorities have failed and neglected to perform their duties and obligations cast upon them by the statutes exposing the lives of the people to danger.
The petitioners further said that the Sri Lanka Standard Institution and Consumer Affairs Authority do not possess standard scientific laboratories to ensure the safety of the food, though a large sum of public funds annually allocated for the maintenance of these institutions and their officials.
The petitioners said that the President of the Government Medical Officers Association had also mentioned that 80% of coconut oil sold in Sri Lanka is not clean
