On Monday (26th), the Attorney General informed the Supreme Court that both the Colombo Magistrate’s Court and the Colombo High Court had issued orders preventing the directors of the local agent company of the X-Press Pearl vessel, which caught fire off Colombo Port, from leaving the country.
This update was provided during a hearing on Fundamental Rights petitions related to the incident, which examined the progress in implementing the Supreme Court’s previous judgment.
Additional Solicitor General Nerin Pulle, representing the Attorney General, conveyed the information to the court.
The petitions were heard before a three-judge bench comprising Justices Shiran Gunaratne, Achala Wengappuli, and Priyantha Fernando.
Addressing the court, Nerin Pulle stated that, following the Supreme Court ruling of September 25, a motion had been filed detailing the steps taken by both the criminal and civil divisions to implement the judgment.
He further informed the court that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had obtained travel bans from the Colombo High Court and the Colombo Magistrate’s Court against 14 members of the Board of Directors of Sea Consortium Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, the local agent company of the X-Press Pearl.
Additionally, Nerin Pulle stated that the CID is currently investigating the assets of the company’s directors.
He also noted that notices had been received regarding an arbitration process in Singapore under the Singapore–Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement in connection with the incident, and assured the court that developments would be reported.
