• Env. Ministry Secy. to appoint committee to look into corruption and delays in legal process 

The proposed committee to look into possible corruption and delays in the legal process related to the MV X-Press Pearl disaster will be appointed soon, according to the Deputy Minister of Environment, Anton Jayakody.

It was reported recently that the Environment Ministry was looking into the possibility of appointing a committee to probe alleged corruption and irregularities within the context of the MV X-Press Pearl-related litigation. 

When queried by The Daily Morning regarding the progress of the matter, Jayakody said that Environment Minister, Dr. Dhammika Patabendi had already informed the ministry Secretary and instructed that a committee be appointed without delay. "When it's appointed, the committee will look into all related allegations and recommend measures to expedite the relevant procedures," pointed out the deputy minister.

On 20 May 2021, the MV X-Press Pearl caught fire off the coast of Colombo. The vessel was engulfed in flames by 27 May and declared a total loss. It was still afloat, and the fire was thought to be under control by Sri Lankan firefighters by the late hours of 27 May 2021. After burning for 12 days, the vessel sank on 2 June as it was being towed away to deeper waters. The incident was deemed the worst marine ecological disaster in Sri Lankan history. 

In 2023, then-Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs, and Constitutional Reforms, President’s Counsel Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said that he had received information suggesting that a Sri Lankan had accepted a sum of United States dollars 250 million to sabotage the legal proceedings seeking compensation for the MV X-Press Pearl disaster.