Master Divers Chairman urges govt. to act on advice of experts to obtain compensation
X-Press Pearl disaster
By Chaminda Silva
Sri Lanka could have achieved better results if it had taken legal action against those who operated the X-Press Pearl container ship while its crew members were still in the country, Ariyaseela Wickramanayake, Founder Chairman of Master Divers told The Island on Thursday.
He said that there had been a long delay in securing compensation for the great environmental damage caused by the X-Press Pearl disaster in 2019. Wickramanayake said that his company had been involved in salvaging ships in Sri Lankan territorial waters for a long time.
He said that his company jad offered advice on steps that should be carried out to secure compensation, following the disaster. However, those in power had ignored the offer.
Wickramanayake said that there were several confusing and unclear factors regarding the insurance of the ship. Therefore, attempting to take legal action in Singapore might lead to a waste of money.
“The government must consult real experts. These are serious and complex legal matters. Things would have been so much easier if we had taken action earlier,” he said.
