AG tells state officials to take stock of everything related to oil super tanker fire

Attorney General Dappula de Livera yesterday held a three-hour discussion with Navy Commander Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne, Chairman of the SLPA, Gen. (retd.) Daya Ratnayake, Chairperson of Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA), Dharshani Lahandapura and Director General of Merchant Shipping Secretariat, A.W. Seneviratne on the New Diamond Oil Tanker that caught fire 40 nautical miles off Sri Lanka’s southeastern coast, State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne, the Coordinating Officer to the Attorney General said.

The Attorney General instructed the officials to evaluate the current status of the losses and the expenses that the government had incurred due to the incident. The relevant parties were also instructed to report the government’s losses and the expenses.

Livera also instructed the Chairperson of Marine Environment Protection Authority to send a team to the site, observe the pollution created by the incident and find out if marine pollution had taken place.

The Attorney General told those officials that foreign teams that would come to Sri Lanka over the matter had to be brought in following COVId-19 guidelines.

He also instructed the officials to see where the ship was, stability and the damage caused by the incident and future damages that could happen to the stricken vessel. They were also asked to see if there was a probability of an oil spill and evaluate the potential damage to the environment. They were also asked to prepare emergency measures if such an eventuality occurred.

Earlier the Merchant Shipping Secretariat and MEPA sought the AG’s advice on the arrest of the captain and crew members of the oil tanker.