AG seeks three-member trial-at-bar to hear Avant Garde case

The Attorney General (AG) has requested Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya to appoint a three-member trial-at-bar at the Colombo High Court to hear the case on the Avant Garde illegal floating armoury.

In his letter, AG Dappula de Livera pointed out that 13 suspects would be charged over this case under 7573 counts for violating the Firearms Ordinance, Explosives Ordinance, and the Penal Code.

According to the AG, 816 automatic firearms and 202,935 rounds of live ammunition had been illegally stored in the vessel before being recovered by the Navy on October 6, 2015.

However, the captain of the ship and employees attached to Avant Garde Maritime Services had only produced permits for the storage of three automatic firearms and 2000 rounds of ammunition, the AG said.

These permits had been issued by the Defence Ministry to the Rakna Lanka security company in 2015. However, the weapons and ammunition had been transferred to Avant Garde Maritime Services on a joint venture agreement.

AG De Livera noted that the Avant Garde Ship had reached Sri Lanka from the Red Sea and had been registered as a merchant ship at the time of storing the explosives and firearms.

The AG further alleged that three suspects had provided false evidence stating that they had  requested the Defence Ministry for a permit to store the large amount of firearms and ammunition.

Accordingly, the prosecutor explained that the suspects would be charged over the illegal possession and transportation of firearms and ammunition, and also for providing false evidence over the case.