By Lakmal Sooriyagoda 

The Colombo High Court yesterday served indictments on five accused including the Captain of the fire-ravaged container ship MV X-Press Pearl and four other directors of the Local Agent of X-Press Pearl vessel for causing damages to the country’s oceanic environment.

Meanwhile, High Court Judge Damith Thotawatte issued summons on three other accused who were not present in court yesterday and they were ordered to appear in court on December 12. The five accused who were present before Court were ordered to be released on two sureties of one million rupees each and they were prevented from leaving the country. The Attorney General had filed indictments against eight accused of committing offences under Marine Pollution Prevention Act.

In this case, the Attorney General had named eight accused including the Captain of the container ship MV X-Press Pearl and four other directors of the Sea Consortium Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, the Local Agent of X-Press Pearl vessel as accused.

On May 20, 2021, the ‘MV X-Press Pearl’ which was en- route from the Indian port of Hazira to Singapore, with 1,486 containers caught fire as it waited to enter Colombo harbour and remained anchored some 9.5 nautical miles North West of the Colombo and waiting to enter the port.