Pyramid Wilmar factory fire remains a mystery
View(s):By Bandula Sirimanna
A fire that engulfed the Pyramid Wilmar factory at the Kerawalapitiya trading zone on March 5th has completely destroyed it causing damages running up to millions of rupees and sabotage in one angle being pursued by Police.
The Pyramid group is the main shareholder of the Shangri-La Hotel, currently being built near Galle Face, and its directors are seen close to the government.
Media spokesman, Superintendent of Police, G.M.H.B. Siriwardena told the Business Times that a special police team is conducting investigations along with the Kerawalapitiya police to find out the cause of the fire and the damages caused to the factory.
The factory imports palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia and produces margarine, butter, soap and milk powder from the refined oil.
Mr. Siriwardena said that preliminary investigations revealed that the fire had ignited after a boiler burst and a nearby diesel tank caught fire. Sri Lanka Army, Air Force and the Fire Brigade rushed to the factory immediately on a directive of the Defence Secretary to douse the fire.
The police have not ruled out sabotage, an inside job or political conspiracy because of the company’s high level political connections.
Land for this 8-year old factory had been given by Minister Prof. G.L.Peiris when he was the Minister of Enterprise Development Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion of the UNF government under the “Vanaspathi project.”
Pyramid had received the palm oil monopoly in the country due to the close links between millionaire businessmen and company chairman Sajad Mowsoon and top level government politicians, informed sources said.
The Business Times tried to reach Mr. Mowsoon but he was not available for comment.
Sarath Manthriratne, Assistant General Manager in charge of the factory by the company management, also refused to make any comment on the fire saying that there was a police investigation in to the incident. But he ruled out sabotage and said the damagecaused by the fire would be less than US$5 million though a full assessment is yet to be made.
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