Travel ban on X-PRESS PEARL Skipper, Chief Engineer & Second Chief Engineer

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Colombo Additional Magistrate's Court on Tuesday (01) issued an order preventing the Captain, Chief Engineer, and the Second Chief Engineer from leaving the country. The Criminal Investigations Department filed a report with the Court, and considering it, the Additional Magistrate issued the order. Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigations Department recorded statements of the Captain, Chief Engineer, and the Second Chief Engineer of the MV X-PRESS PEARL on Monday (31). Police Spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana Speaking to News 1st earlier said the statements of the Captain and the Chief Engineer were recorded for a period of 14-hours. The statement of the Second Chief Engineer was recorded for a period of 12-hours, he said. The Criminal Investigations Department appointed a 10-member team of detectives to investigate the incidents surrounding the MV X-PRESS PEARL container ship. The team includes 03 Chief Inspectors & an Assistant Superintendent of Police and the investigations are taking place on the instructions of the Director and the DIG of the Criminal Investigations Department. On the 23rd of May 2021, the Director-General of the Marine Environment Protection Authority filed a complaint with the Harbour Police over the environmental destruction caused by the fire onboard the vessel.