The Supreme Court has ordered the remand of Immigration Controller General Harsha Ilukpitiya pending the resolution of his contempt case. Ilukpitiya faces accusations of failing to adhere to an August 2, 2024 court order that required the restoration of the previous expedited Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system.
Earlier, the court had blocked a Cabinet decision to outsource Sri Lanka's visa operations to a private consortium. However, Ilukpitiya did not comply with this directive, citing practical challenges.
The contempt charges were initiated after a petition was filed by Parliamentarians M.A. Sumanthiran, Patali Champika Ranawaka, and Rauff Hakeem. Ilukpitiya, who appeared in court, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Representing Ilukpitiya, President’s Counsel Faiszer Musthapha argued that his client had made efforts to follow the court’s interim order from August 2, but faced significant technical and logistical obstacles. He maintained that Ilukpitiya had not deliberately ignored the order and intended to fully comply within a week.
President’s Counsel M.A. Sumanthiran, representing the petitioners, countered by highlighting Ilukpitiya’s initial request for two months to implement the order, which was later reduced to one week. Sumanthiran argued that this inconsistency demonstrated clear contempt of court. After considering the arguments, the court ordered Ilukpitiya’s remand under the Contempt of Court Act until the case is concluded.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's former Public Security Minister Tiran Alles, who oversaw the visa issuance under the Department of Immigration and Emigration, defended the controversial VFS-led consortium, which manages the new visa system. He suggested that a few immigration officials were attempting to sabotage the system, which has faced public backlash after a video of a visa issue incident at the airport went viral.
Sri Lanka’s decision to outsource visa services included a sharp fee increase, which replaced the previously efficient ETA process. The new system faced criticism after a viral video showed a frustrated Sri Lankan citizen confronting the private visa facilitator when his foreign companion was denied entry.
