Inferior fuel imported again?

The Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya (JSS) union at the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) alleged that a consignment of 16,000 metric tonnes of substandard petrol imported by the Lanka IOC was yesterday unloaded at the Trincomalee Habour.

The JSS said it had been done despite laboratory reports stating they were of low quality.

16,000 metric tonnes of substandard petrol imported by LIOC was unloaded

Laboratory tests carried out on the consignment of petrol that reached the China Bay at 4.00 p.m. on Saturday indicated that the contents were of low quality. Who gave the authorisation to unload the consignment without the samples being tested for quality

However, the CPC rejected these allegations and claimed that laboratory reports had cleared this consignment of petrol.

JSS President Ananda Palitha told Daily Mirror that laboratory tests carried out on the consignment of petrol that reached the China Bay at 4.00 p.m. on Saturday indicated that the contents were of low quality.

"Hence, the unloading of this stock of petrol was temporarily put off due to the negative reports. Thereafter, a series of laboratory tests were carried out and the results were similar. However, the consignment had been suddenly unloaded this afternoon despite of the adverse laboratory reports," he added.

Mr. Palitha said it was only the laboratory at the Sapugaskanda oil refinery which was equipped to test the level of octane in petrol and it had not received any samples from this consignment of petrol.

"Who gave the authorisation to unload the consignment without the samples being tested for quality," he questioned.

However, CPC Managing Director Susantha Silva dismissed the allegations and said the petrol consignment was unloaded only upon receiving laboratory reports that cleared the quality of the petrol. "The consignment was inspected when it reached the Colombo Harbour. As the petrol was certified as being of standard quality, 10,000 metric tonnes were unloaded and the rest were transferred to the Trincomalee Habour for unloading,” he said adding that the ship also contained 5,000 metric tonnes of diesel that was not discharged due to its low quality.