The Customs Services Union has written to president Maithripala Sirisena, seeking an opportunity to explain matters.

Also, the government gazette 1901/03 of 15 February 2015, the legal document on which the investigation was based, had been indiscriminately changed as the probe was on, their letter notes.

In its place, finance minister Ravi Karunanayake has issued a new gazette, 1933/16 of 22 September 2015, to be advantageous of the racketeers involved.

The new gazette has annulled powers of Customs officials to act against importers who furnish documents undervaluing the imported vehicles.

It adds the finance minister and the Customs director general had done so, at a time when the state has lost more than Rs. 3,000 million due to the importation of luxury vehicles on duty free licenses.

The union letter to the president is given below: