X-Press Pearl lawyers question delay in submitting recordings with Harbour Master

Investigations were underway to recover deleted email correspondence between three employees of the local agent representing MV X-Press Pearl and the ill-fated vessel, the Attorney General’s Department informed the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court this week.

The email correspondence that had allegedly been deleted involved three employees from Sea Consortium Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, the ship’s local agent, who had been assigned to directly deal with the vessel while in Sri Lankan waters. Deputy Solicitor General (DSG) Madhawa Tennakoon informed Colombo Additional Magistrate Lochana Abeywickrama that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was conducting a forensic analysis to try and retrieve the deleted emails.

Court was also informed that the hundreds of sea creatures who have washed up dead on the country’s beaches in the days following the X-Press Pearl disaster had not died of natural causes and their deaths had been the direct result of the incident involving the vessel.

Bodies of 200 sea creatures who had died due to the disaster have so far been collected by the Department of Wildlife Conservation. They include 170 sea turtles, 20 dolphins and four whales.

The CID this week, also arrested Sanjeewa Lakpriya Samaranayake, the Deputy General Manager of Sea Consortium Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. He was produced before Colombo High Court Judge Damith Thotawatta, and released on a cash bail of Rs. 100, 000 and two sureties of Rs. 1 million each.

Anura Meddegoda PC, together with Yasa Jayasekara and Chathura Galhena appeared for Mr Samaranayake.

Sarath Jayamanne PC, who appeared for Sea

Consortium Lanka, informed court that the State was yet to hand over the recordings between the Harbour Master and X-Press Pearl. The DSG Tennakoon informed that the delay in providing the recordings was due to a technical issue surrounding the ship’s Voyage Data Recorder (VDR), but assured that it will be provided as soon as it is settled.

DSG Madhawa Tennakoon along with Senior State Counsel Lakmini Girihagama and Fazly Razeek and State Counsel Lakmini Dissanayake, Malik Azeez and Lahiru Jayamanne appeared for the Attorney General.

Meanwhile, Indian Naval vessel INS Sarvekshak, which arrived in the country last week, completed a side scan sonar survey covering 800 miles over the region impacted the X-Press Pearl

The operation, dubbed “Operation Sagar Araksha 2” by the Indian Navy, concluded on Friday and the survey report was handed over to the Sri Lankan Government at a ceremony at the Colombo Port attended by Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda and State Minister Kanchana Wijesekara.

The data collected would assist in safety of navigation and restoration of fishing in the area, the Indian High Commission in Colombo stated.