Who’s pocketing the compensation from X-Press Pearl accident?

This compensation is important in terms of being helpful to a country like Sri Lanka which is experiencing a severe economic crisis. If Sri Lanka can get more than six billion US$ in compensation for the damage caused by X-Press Pearl, the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) might not need the IMF loan. There will be no need to beg from other countries. If so, the authorities work towards obtaining the compensation. According to Environmentalist Nayanaka Ranwella no such step has been taken yet. “In addition the task of recovering the vessel has been given to a Chinese company when there are world-renowned companies that are qualified for such assignments. This is a dangerous move. Chemical containers of the vessel are scattered covering a vast area of the sea. If they get destroyed in the process of recovery it would have a huge impact on the sea,” explained Ranwella. According to him there are details of a plan to swindle the compensation monies; not forgetting that there are several powerful people behind that.

When the vessel first caught fire there was ample opportunity to drag the vessel away from the Sri Lankan coastal strip. The spokesperson of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority said that instead of allowing it to be dragged away, a certain powerful person made sure to sink the ship within the Sri Lankan coast. “I heard that he boarded the ship at the moment the fire started to meet with the officers. We need to find out if paying the compensation was delayed because of his intervention. Sri Lanka should receive compensation worth 6 billion US$, but it should be investigated as to whether the said person is the reason why the compensation was not received.” he added.