Kantalai Court orders release of Trinco co-op lorry, fuel

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 June 2006, 12:42 GMT]
The Kantalai Magistrate Tuesday released the lorry and the fuel of the Trincomalee co-operative society which was seized by the Kantalai Police on May 26 when the lorry was on its way to Verugal co-operative society located in the LTTE held Eachchilampathu division. Officials of the Trincomalee co-operative society took charge of the lorry with the load of fuel. The Magistrate further allowed the driver and cleaner of the lorry on personal bail of fifty thousand rupees each, court sources said.

The Kantalai Police seized the lorry with a load of fuel and arrested the driver and cleaner of the lorry. The crew was remanded by the Kantalai Magistrate till June 6. The lorry with the load of fuel was kept in the custody of the court, sources said

When the case was heard in Kantalai Court Tuesday, counsel on behalf of the Trincomalee co-operative society told court that the fuel was transported to the Verugal co-operative society on the day of incident on credit basis between societies allowed under the Co-operative Ordinance. There was no need to obtain a permit to transport kerosene. Furthermore the society had obtained a permit to transport fuel to Verugal society from the Government Agent, court sources said.

The Court thereafter ordered the release of lorry and fuel to the Trincomalee co-operative society and allowed the crew on personal bail, court sources said.

The Trincomalee co-operative society soon after the seizure of its lorry made a complaint to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), sources said.