MT New Diamond Skipper produced in Court

The News 1st Court correspondent said the Attorney General's Department and the Criminal Investigations Department are reporting facts to court against the captain of the supertanker.

On the 17th of September, Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris, who represented the Attorney General stated the Captain and crew of the MT New Diamond had abandoned ship when the fire broke out while transporting Crude Oil from Kuwait to India, and their irresponsible actions resulted in a disastrous situation.

The Additional Magistrate issued summons noting the Captain of the MT New Diamond, who was named as a suspect, had failed to cooperate with the on-going investigations.

The Government Analyst's Department report confirmed the Crude Oil stored aboard MT New Diamond had not leaked, however, a portion of the 1700 metric tons of diesel required for the use of the tanker had leaked into the ocean creating oil slick.

The MT New Diamond crude oil tanker was transporting 270,000 metric tons of crude oil from the port of Meena Al Ahmadi in Kuwait to the Port of Paradip in India when a fire broke out aboard in the eastern seas of Sri Lanka on 03rd September 2020 at around 0800 hrs.

The ship was sailing 38 nautical miles off Sangamankanda Point when it caught fire with an explosion in a boiler in the ship’s main engine room.

The distressed oil tanker in eastern seas was manned by 23 crew members including 5 Greeks and 18 Philippine nationals.

It was also reported that 1700 metric tons of diesel required for the use of the tanker is also stored onboard.

MT New Diamond is a 20-year old crude oil tanker that is 333 meters long and 60 meters wide, and sailed with a Japanese certificate and is registered in Panama.