Methisge Suresh Peiris v. Officer in Charge Police Station Saliyawewa & Others – CPA 59/2020-2022

In the case between Methisge Suresh Peiris (trading as Gren Traders) and the Officer in Charge, Police Station, Saliyawewa, the court addressed the issue of whether the confiscation of vehicle NWPC3161 under the Tobacco Tax Act was legally justified. The main legal questions concerned the validity of charges framed against the accused for an offence involving the illegal use of the vehicle and whether the registered owner, who operated a rent-a-car business, had knowledge or involvement in the criminal activity. It was held that the lower courts erred in ordering confiscation without sufficient evidence that the petitioner had knowledge of or complicity in the offence, despite technical defects in the charge. The ruling reaffirmed the principle that lack of knowledge by a vehicle owner is