According to Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, Sri Lanka is unable to seek compensation for the MT New Diamond ship tragedy in September 2020 since the vessel was released against the Attorney General’s wishes.
Off Sri Lanka’s western coast, on September 3, 2020, a very big crude carrier named the MT New Diamond caught fire. The fire was claimed to be out on September 11 after sputtering for nearly a week, and the vessel was later released.
Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe commented on the situation and said that the Attorney General had previously given the order that the ship should not be freed from Sri Lankan seas until the appropriate compensation is obtained.
He added that it had been discovered that former foreign secretary Jayanath Colombage had ordered the Sri Lanka Navy to release the warship in defiance of the AG’s orders.
“As a result of this action, Sri Lanka is unable to secure the appropriate compensation for the ship tragedy. Despite the fact that we have three different instances, we have been unable to obtain any compensation. He informed the Parliament that “the lawyers of the foreign company that owns the vessel have not even responded to our claims.”
The State Minister for Coast Conservation at the time, MP Nalaka Godahewa, also commented on the situation and informed Parliament that, although being the subject minister, he did not issue the order to release the vessel.
Then-foreign secretary Jayanath Colombage gave the Sri Lanka Navy instructions to release the warship, according to MP Godahewa.
He continued by saying that as the situation came within security and foreign affairs, he was not involved.
