Attorney General v. Kumarasinghe – sllr 1995 volume 2 page 001

In The Attorney-General v. Kumarasinghe, the court addressed whether gold removed from an aircraft into a transit lounge constitutes “importation” under Section 21(1) of the Exchange Control Act and whether possession of such gold without a valid permit is an offence. It was determined that “importation” is satisfied when gold is physically removed from an aircraft upon landing, even if the passenger remains in transit, based on the extended definition in Section 21(2) of the Exchange Control Act and the importation definition in Section 22 of the Imports and Exports Control Act. The acquittal of the accused by the High Court was set aside, affirming that possession of gold in these circumstances falls within the regulated conduct. This decision reiterates the principle that statutory defi