Anura wants answers on Avant Garde issue

JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake raised concerns about the legality of the decision by the former Defence Secretary to transfer the powers to the Avant Garde Maritime Services (Pvt) Ltd to maintain a commercial floating armoury.

The observation was made during his speech at the Parliament on Tuesday (22).

He added that this service was prior handled by the Sri Lanka Navy.

“Does the Defence Secretary have the authority to authorise such a decision, which could be a threat to the national security? If not, what actions will be taken against Gotabaya Rajapaksa?,” he asked.

However, on September 7, the magisterial inquiry with respect to the floating armory case was terminated after the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) apprised the Court that it would not precede with the case under AG’s advice.

Police this year seized more than 3,000 weapons in 20 containers from the armoury, run by the private security firm and docked in port of Galle. 

The Galle magistrate had too earlier imposed a travel ban on three people: including former secretary of defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa; former navy commander and adviser of Avant Garde, Satilaka Dissanayake; and another director of Avant Garde.