The Government is set to release the Syrian flagged MV Captain Ali that is currently detained by the Navy after it illegally crossed into Sri Lanka’s territorial waters with a shipment of humanitarian aid meant for the displaced people in the north, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said yesterday.
He told The Sunday Times the ship and its crew would most likely be asked to leave once investigators were convinced that the shipment did not include any subversive material but had only humanitarian items.
“So far it has been revealed that the ship did not have any dangerous intentions except that it may have violated certain international maritime laws. We are looking into all these aspects and a decision will be taken soon,” Mr. Rajapaksa said.
The MV Captain Ali with 884 tons of food and other aid entered Sri Lankan waters on Thursday and was immediately detained by the Navy. The vessel and its cargo were later subjected to a thorough inspection by the Navy while the 13-member crew was also questioned.
The vessel is currently anchored some seven kilometres off the Panadura coast with the Navy keeping a 24-hour watch over it.
A Navy spokesman said nothing illegal was found on the ship and the fate of the vessel and its crew would be decided by the Government.
It was not clear if the vessel will be directed to Colombo and the cargo off loaded or allowed to proceed as it is, with officials not willing to comment on the issue.
Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona said the matter was purely defence-related. “We will get involved and pursue the formal procedures only if instructed to do so,” he said.
Meanwhile, a British-based group, Mercy Mission, which is responsible for sending the ship to Sri Lanka has expressed concern over the detention of the vessel and crew.
In a statement, the organization has said the Government as well as several others including senior ministers had been informed of the ship and its intended mission.
Mercy Mission has called on the Government to help it overcome any paperwork errors and ensure that the emergency relief donated by the Tamil Diaspora is delivered to the IDPs.However Dr. Kohona described Mercy Mission as a fly-by-night organization that should not be taken seriously.
Fact sheet
Tracing the voyage of ‘Captain Ali’
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| The controversial ship |
March 14 - The collection of goods for “Mercy Mission to Vanni” launched at Sivan Kovil in Lewisham in Great Britain.
April 20 - The “Mercy Mission to Vanni” began the 1st leg of its journey from the port of Ipswich, May 7 - The 2nd leg of the “Mercy Mission to Vanni.”
The ‘Captain Ali’ is carrying approximately 884 metric tonnes of food, medicine, and other essential humanitarian relief items destined for the Wanni, after travelling through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea.
June 4 – Sri Lanka Navy detains ship. |
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