• The suspect went on to say that he had been aided and abetted by five senior Excise Officers
• Suspect Rupan had stated with names of the then Excise area station OIC,  two Excise Deputy Commissioners and two Excise Commissioners attached  to head office

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana   

Making a startling revelation, Opposition MP Buddhika Pathirana yesterday said in the House, how a person charged for producing artificial toddy by the Department of Excise had disclosed the names of several top Excise Officers for aiding and abetting. 

The SJB Parliamentarian made these observations registering his protest against the three Gazette notifications issued in the House yesterday, pertaining to the toddy industry by the Ministry of Finance. 

 
A person named Chandrakanthan Rupan, a resident of Palali Road, Kondavil in Jaffna had been charged with several charges of manufacturing chemically enhanced toddy or illicit toddy in 2019. 

 
The suspect, a registered toddy manufacturer in the area had written to the then Excise Commissioner General H. G. Punchihewa in a letter dated on September 06, 2019 saying that he had been charged with certain allegations, which he did not deny but went on to say that he had been aided and abetted by five senior Excise Officers.   
Suspect Rupan had stated with names of the then Excise area station OIC, two Excise Deputy Commissioners and two Excise Commissioners attached to head office for supporting him to run his business.   

He had, in his petition admitted the charges made against him by the Excise Dept. and had further stated that he  was ready to face any penalty, yet he had not committed the crimes all by himself.   

MP Pathirana requested to conduct an impartial probe into this matter and said Minister of Finance had issued three Gazette notifications to encourage the toddy consuming culture. 

 
The Gazette notifications included of allowing toddy taverns to amend its opening hours from the present timing of 11.00am - 2.00pm and 5.00pm - 8.00pm to 10.00am - 2.00pm and 5.00pm - 9.00p.m., reducing the tax of Rs.50 to Rs.25 and allowing the present quantity of sale and transportation of 1.5 litres of toddy to 3 litres. 

• The suspect in his petition admitted the charges made against him by the Excise  Dept. and had further stated that he  was ready to face any penalty, yet  he had not committed the crimes all by himself