13 October 2020 12:02 am
Magistrate Court case laid down
Colombo Chief Magistrate Mohamed Mihail yesterday laid down the Magistrate Court case filed by the Attorney General in the Magistrate Court as 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 this decision consequent to Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Pieris informing the Magistrate that the captain of MT New Diamond was indicted in the Colombo High Court.
Earlier the Magistrate had restrained the Captain of the ship from leaving the country. The travel ban was not lifted and he was ordered to appear before the Colombo High Court on receipt of summons.
The vessel was taken into custody by the Sri Lanka Government, following a fire breaking out on the Panama registered fuel tanker on the 3rd September due to an engine room explosion. The owners of the Panama Crude Oil Tanker ‘MT New Diamond’ had agreed to fully settle the claim of Rs.442 million in costs incurred to douse the flames and estimated costs of marine environment pollution caused by the disaster.