Court holds that police can file plaints under the Excise Ordinance
April 27, 2017 01:23 pm
The Galle Magistrate’s Court today held that the police have powers to file plaints, under the Excise Ordinance.
In February, the Kalutara Magistrate’s Court had ruled that the police could not file plaints under the Excise Ordinance and only Excise officers could do.
This was in consequence to an accused in a case of illicit distilling challenging the Kalutara Chief Magistrate’s judgment at the Kalutara High Court, and being acquitted.
Police argue that in 1962, former Minister Maithripala Senanayake had issued a gazette notification under Section 52 of the Excise Ordinance, authorising the Police Department to arrest illicit liquor manufacturers and produce them in court.
