The Attorney General informed Colombo Chief Magistrate Mohamed Mihail that the Captain of the MT New Diamond ship was indicted in the Colombo High Court for polluting the seas belonging to Sri Lanka.

Magistrate Mihail made on considering the submissions of Deputy Solicitor General Deleepa Pieris terminated the proceeding in the Colombo Magistrate Court,

Earlier the Magistrate had restrained the captain of the ship from leaving the country. However, it was not lifted and he was ordered to appear before the Colombo High Court on receipt of summons.

The vessel was taken into Sri Lankan government’s custody following a fire breaking out on the Panamanian registered fuel tanker on the 3rd of September due to an engine room explosion

The owners of the Panamanian Crude Oil Tanker ‘MT New Diamond’ had agreed to fully settle, the claim of Rs.442 million in costs incurred to douse the flame and estimated costs of marine environment pollution caused by the disaster. (T. Farook Thajudeen)