The Atto ey General has notified the Court of Appeal that the National Procurement Committee is investigating the awarding of the tender for the purchase of five million e-passports by the Department of Immigration and Emigration during the previous gove ment.

The update was shared by Additional Solicitor General Sumathi Dharmawardena on December 3rd, during the hearing of a petition filed by Epic Lanka Private Limited. The petition challenges the process through which the tender was awarded.

The case was heard before Justices Mohamed Lafar Tahir and P. Kumaran Ratnam. According to Dharmawardena, the National Procurement Committee has requested one week to finalize and submit its observations regarding the investigation.

Meanwhile, President's Counsel K. Kanagiswaran, representing several respondent companies, urged the court to consider lifting the interim injunction currently preventing the procurement of the e-passports.

The Court of Appeal has scheduled the next hearing for January 23, 2024, to review the progress of the investigation and address the request to lift the injunction.