Court orders Navy to provide security for destroyed container ship until investigations are completed

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court on Monday (7) ordered that the Navy provides security to the Singaporean container vessel destroyed in a fire off the Western coast until investigations are completed.

This was when Deputy Solicitor General (DSG) Madhawa Tennakoon informed courts about the progress of the investigations. The case was taken up before Colombo Additional Magistrate Shalani Perera yesterday (7).

In courts the DSG sought permission to issue notices to seven persons including the Managing Director of Sea Consortium Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. And the Sri Lankan agent of the operator of X-Press Pearl destroyed in the fire.

President’s Counsel Sarath Jayamanne, appearing for the ship’s chief engineer and the first assistant engineer, stated that the Magistrate’s Court has no jurisdiction to hear the case and that it should be carried out by the High Court.

Accordingly the request from the DSG was not allowed.

An order was also issued by the  additional magistrate  to submit the originals of the emails exchanged between the local agent and the vessel’s captain to the CID after allegations were raised that some of the emails had been deleted.

The CID produced the ship’s Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) . Court ordered that the equipment be handed over to the Government Analyst so that a detailed report could be submitted to courts.

(Pix and video by Akila Jayawardana)