Chairman and local agent of Mv X-press Pearl vessel arrested and released on bail

June 16, 2021

The CID today arrested the Chairman and local agent of the fire-ravaged Mv X-press Pearl cargo vessel Arjuna Hettiarchchi. Mr Hettiarchchi appeared before the CID today to record a statement and when, questioning, admitted to the fact that several email communications between the ship, the Principals, and the local agent deleted inadvertently. The Computer crimes branch has reported the matter to the officer concerned in the Attorney General’s department, who had directed the CID to arrest him. He was subsequently produced before the Colombo High Court in terms of the provisions of the Marine Pollution Act and released on bail. When the X-Press Pearl case came up before the Colombo Magistrate Courts yesterday, it was revealed that the Sea Consortium Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, the Local Agent of X-Press Pearl vessel has so far failed to provide its email message database to the CID, despite a court order to do so. Deputy Solicitor General Madhawa Tennakoonmade these remarks when the magisterial inquiry into the fire-ravaged container ship was taken up before Colombo Additional Magistrate Lochana Abeywickrama. However, Sarath Jayamanne, PC, who appeared for the Local Agent Company told the court that the CID was requesting for the database of the company, although the court had made an order to only provide the email database, Jayamannasaid there was a risk of the company's business secrets being leaked through this process. President's Counsel Anura Maddegoda, appearing for the Managing Director of the company stated that the email database requested by the CID is about 6,000 GB and they are currently being copied. The court was informed that the email database would be handed over to the CID immediately.

Chairman and local agent of Mv X-press Pearl vessel arrested and released on bail

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