(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) –The Captain of the fire-stricken oil tanker ‘MT New Diamond’ ship that caught fire off the coast of has been produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court at Hulftsdorp today.
On September 17, Colombo Additional Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage issued a notice to the Greek Captain to appear before the court on 28 September considering a request made by Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris, who appeared for the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
The Attorney General instructed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to name the Captain as a suspect for committing offenses under the Prevention of Marine Pollution Act No. 35 of 2008.
The Panamanian flagged tanker was carrying 270,000 tonnes of crude and 1,700 tonnes of diesel to Paradip port in India from the port of Mina Al Ahmadi in Kuwait when the fire erupted in the engine room on Sept 03 morning in the deep sea about 38 nautical miles off Sangamankanda Point in Sri Lanka.
One member of the ship’s crew was killed and another seriously injured crew member was rescued by the Sri Lanka Navy. Another 03 Greek and 16 Philippine crew members of the tanker were rescued by another merchant vessel plying nearby and safely brought ashore by the Navy.
