The Attorney General (AG) has issued instructions to arrest the local agent of the MV X-Press Pearl vessel which caught fire off the coast of Colombo.
The AG instructed the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to arrest the suspect and produce him in court.
Meanwhile, the Police said the CID has recorded 33 statements with regard to the disaster that occurred due to a fire on the ship. More statements are to be recorded from the local agent and related officers in this regard.
The Police further said the Government Analyst Department is inspecting the black box of the ship which contains details of the ship’s movements and emails exchanged between the parent company, local agent, and Sri Lankan authorities.
The Government Analyst Department has also sought the assistance of the parent company that had manufactured the black box for further investigations.
The Captain of the vessel was arrested yesterday and released on a personal bail of Rs. 02 million by the Colombo Chief Magistrate.
The Police said the CID is conducting further investigations into the MV X-Press Pearl.
An explosion had occurred on the vessel which was transporting hazardous chemicals, causing a fire to break out. A number of cargo-carrying various items, including chemicals had thereafter toppled into the seas.
The packages and debris from the vessel, along with plastic pellets had washed ashore along the coastal belt from Negombo to Panadura. Sri Lankan authorities have taken necessary measures in minimising the environmental impact due to the disaster.
The ship has now been anchored off the coast of Colombo after it had hit the sea bed while being towed into deep seas. An oil slick has also been captured via satellite images, with authorities conducting a probe to ascertain if it had appeared from the vessel. (NewsWire)