Sri Lanka to prosecute Avant Garde, revokes ‘agreement’
Sri Lanka’s government Wednesday decided to revoke a purported agreement Avant Garde had entered into with the defence minister under former secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and asked the navy to take over the private firm’s operations.
Cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said President Sirisena ordered the immediate cancellation of the so called joint venture deal between the private security company and the defence ministry’s private arm known as RALL.
“The ordered the IGP and the Attorney General’s department to take legal action against Avant Garde within a week,” Senaratne told Economynext shortly after the weekly cabinet meeting.
He said Inspector General of Police N. K. Illangakoon claimed ignorance over the arms scandal, but was censured by the cabinet which had pitched into him for not carrying out a thorough investigation.
“I don’t know Avant Garde people, I have not taken any money from them,” the police chief reportedly told the cabinet today.
Justice Minister Wijayadasa Rajapakshe, who had put up a staunch defence of Avant Garde and insisted that the private maritime security company had done no wrong, remained silent during a heated discussion.
The President had summoned Attorney General Yuwanjana Wanasundera to attend the meeting along with Additional Solicitor General Wasantha Navaratne Bandara. Unlike the Attorney general, his deputy Bandara had maintained there was sufficient grounds to arrest Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and prosecute Avant Garde, but his opinion had been overruled.
Government sources said Bandara had been prevented from attending the meeting and instead controversial Solicitor General Suhada Gamlath had been present to answer questions about the slow pace of AG’s department work.
“It was clear from the meeting that what we have been saying all along was correct. There is enough evidence to prosecute is the AG wanted to,” Senaratne said.
He said the latest audit of weapons aboard a second floating armoury of Avant Garde at the Galle harbour turned up 59 illegal weapons which were sufficient to arrest owners of Avant Garde. The serial numbers of the automatic weapons had been obliterated to prevent them from being traced to original owners.
“Even if a person is caught with a gal katas (crude local weapon) police will lock them up, but in this case there are 59 illegal weapons and the AG and the police have thought it fit not to prosecute,” Senaratne said. “This is a shame.”
He, however, said the President’s action to halt the Avant Garde operations and let the navy take over would help stem a wave of criticism against the government.
Both Senaratne and Megapolis Minister Champika Ranawaka had threatened to resign if no action was taken against former Law and Order Minister Tilak Marapana who made a statement in parliament defending Avant Garde. The ruling UNP during its election camopaign had claimed that Avant Garde was an illegal operation. But the company maintained they had a partnership agreement with the defence ministry’s Rakna Araksha Lanka Limited (RALL).
Marapana quit on Monday, but official sources said a powerful section of the cabinet was now gunning for Justice minister Rajapakshe.
(Source: Economy Next)
Latest Headlines in Sri Lanka
- Voting begins for Sri Lanka’s 10th Parliament – Results expected by midnight November 14, 2024
- U.S. Embassy lifts Arugam Bay travel restrictions November 13, 2024
- Former PMD Director General allegedly makes death threat against photographer November 13, 2024
- Sierra Leonean arrested at Sri Lanka Airport with cocaine worth Rs. 13 million November 13, 2024
- Wasp attack in Pussellawa leaves one dead, six injured November 13, 2024
Sit back, hold tight and relax, the next action packed movie is coming soon.
What will be the next episode?
Will the Navy has enough funds to cater the needs?
Will they have other setbacks?
During next episode, Cabinet will says, Since Navy is not able to do due to many circumstance, it will be tender out to private sector.
Who is the buyer? Rajitha along with Maharajah?
Things are set and that might happen.
Or will the chance taken by another country?
So sit back and watch this action packed movie on the Seashore of Galle.
A VVIP of the prevoius regime learnt the art of arms trading from a former LTTE gunrunner who was captured in Thailand and broght to SL. Eventually, the VVIP and the LTTE Gunrunner became bosom pals and was housed in luxury accommodation in a former speaker’s official residence.
Eventually, the gunrunner, who is on the Interpol’s red wanted list, has been let loose in the Vanni with official protection.
The VVIP apparently has learnt the ropes of arms trading form the LTTE Gunrunner and created a business which had an initial investment of LKR 40k from the Treasury; the value of the business now is LKR 40 billion.
The Yahapalana jokers who rose to leadership on the promise on eradicating corruption are now floundering and groping in the darkness. One Minister has resigned and another, is satnding on the rooftops defending the protection of the illegal arms trade.
The Yahapalana jokers have also failed to take the LTTE Gunrunner and hand him over to Interpol.
The Yahapalana joker government consists of a political party who had a person who had slaughtered 600 policemen who had surrendered to him when he was the chieftain of LTTE operations in the east, as its Senior Vice president, until a few days ago.
Long live the spineless Yahapala joker government; they are a set of clowns entertaining the masses with their red-nosed stupidity.
this indeed is real time movie with intrigue with neither a hero nor a villain except a ship.
this ship happened to traverse the indian ocean most likely around territorial waters however one report claimed that it was cruising around a sensitive Indian naval base and it is strange that that either Indians did not want to know or likely they misttoook it for one of their many vessels.
I think vessels exceeding catamarans and the likes that raise a national flag has to abide by the global maritime laws. The only vessels that do not abide by the laws of the sea for all practical purposes considered pirate ships. If the vessel had been registered under the maritime laws then there ought to be a record of who operated it and its owners and obviously it must have carried some insurance with global coverage. Failing to honor these obligations means the operators of Avant Garde ran a pirate operations. This thesis has credibility for when it was intercepted it was a consignment of illegal weapons .
C onsidering that Avant G was running an international operation then any leagal action ought to be taken by an international court dealing with with Martime Laws and not by the Lankan government even if it meant violating SL Laws.
Finally the weapons found on board can be identified and can be traced bak to the manufacturers.
Pie in the Sky
Ive done a bit of research on floating armories. The running of floating armories were authorized by the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence most likely the government must have a paid out thousands of dollars to charter the vessels to field several floating armories as claimed by Senadhipathy who had a leading role in pioneering the floating armories. Most of the weapons that were stocked in the armories most likely came from the Department of Defence and the ministry of defence would have authorized the release of these weapons
Concerns were also raised about the quantities of weapons being
stored in land based armories. It was the Government of Sri Lanka’s concerns around
the quantity of weapons being held that prompted the closure of land based armories
being operated in Sri Lanka and the subsequent establishment of a number of
floating armories, run as a government commercial operation in the Indian Ocean.
The history behind Sri Lankan Government lperated floating armories
http://www.seacurus.com/newsletter/Seacurus_Issue_19.pdf
“Cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said President Sirisena ordered the immediate cancellation of the so called joint venture deal between the private security company and the defence ministry’s private arm known as RALL.
“The ordered the IGP and the Attorney General’s department to take legal action against Avant Garde within a week,” Senaratne told Economynext shortly after the weekly cabinet meeting.”
Ummmmm, I thought executive presidency was abolished or weekend very much immediately after the January 8th. LoL!