News
X-Press Pearl disaster: AG to hand over forensic audit to reputed foreign agency
View(s):By Ranjith Padmasiri
The Attorney General’s Department will seek a reputed international organisation’s help to carry out a forensic audit report on the deleted email communications between the X-Press Pearl ship captain and the local agents Sea Consortium Lanka (Pvt Ltd).
The decision came after the Moratuwa University and the Government Analyst Department said they lacked the capacity to carry out the forensic audit.
Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe has informed Justice Ministry Secretary Ayesha Jinasena to take necessary action to select a suitable international agency to carry out the audit.
The move came as a follow-up to the Supreme Court order that the owners and related parties of the X-Press Pearl should pay $1 billion in compensation for environmental damage caused by the sinking of the vessel in 2021.
The follow-up action is directed and monitored by a team of AG’s Department officials.
Meanwhile, a team headed by Assistant Superintendent of Police Chandima Arumapperuma of the CID has been appointed to expedite further investigations.
The equipment at the Government Analyst Department has been broken down since June 2024, and several attempts to get it reactivated have failed.
Meanwhile, following the court order, the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEEPA) is looking into required amendments to existing laws.
The AG has advised to expedite the probes and complete them in three months.
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