Allowing Chinese man with forged PP to enter country No probe on Arundika Fernando: Alles

• The Chinese national had two passports, one from China and another from Guinea

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya   

An investigation would be conducted against the Department of Immigration and Emigration in connection with the incident where a Chinese national entered the country using a forged passport, Public Security Minister Tiran Alles said yesterday.   

 He told a news conference that the Chinese national in question had been summoned to the Ministry and further action will be taken with consultation of the Chinese Embassy.   

A Chinese passenger using a forged passport and his two friends, another Chinese and an Egyptian who attempted to enter the country at the Bandaranaike International Airport and behaved in an unruly manner when the Immigration and Emigration officers detected the forgery and prevented their entry, had been detained to be deported, but released on the instructions of the State Minister of Urban Development and Housing Arundika Fernando.   

Investigations revealed that the Chinese passenger bearing a forged passport and two others had arrived from Dubai on Thursday (18) and the former produced a passport issued by the Guinean government which, the officials found was forged.   

The minister said he questioned about the matter from the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration and discovered that the Chinese national had two passports, one from China and another from Guinea.  
“I acknowledge that something wrong has happened. A Chinese national cannot hold another passport except from China. He was allowed to enter the country because he was in possession of a Chinese Passport. We will take a further decision after consultation with the Chinese Embassy,” he said.  

However, Minister Alles said no action would be taken against the State Minister who requested to release the passenger as the Immigration and Emigration officials must not act upon wrong instructions.   
“Anyone can make a request over seeking a favour. But it is up to the officials to do the right things,” he said.