Cabinet nod to hire intl. legal firm to press MV X-Press Pearl claims

The Cabinet of Ministers on Monday gave its approval for the Justice Ministry to appoint an international legal firm to press claims against the representatives of the MV X-Press Pearl, the stricken vessel which caused extensive environmental damage to Sri Lanka’s marine life after a fire broke out aboard the ship. 

Following an invitation for expression of interest, eight international legal firms with experience in dealing with claims involving such incidents have responded. 

Cabinet has also approved the appointment of a committee comprising senior officers to select the most appropriate institution among the eight interested parties.

An agreement with P&I Club, the insurer of the tanker, was reached for a pay-out of Rs. 720 million as interim compensation following discussions between the Attorney General and the insurer.

Following the maritime disaster, the Justice Ministry held a consultation program with the participation of other relevant Ministers and the Attorney General under the directions of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, with the objective of facilitating the legal process.

The Government also listed several measures taken so far with regard to the incident: 

1. Five subcommittees have been appointed for evaluating the damage caused by the fire in order to obtain insurance compensation. 

2. Newspaper advertisements have been published in all three languages for obtaining claims for compensation and information. 

3. The Attorney General has taken necessary action to take legal action at the High Court of Colombo against the owner of the vessel, the Captain and the board of directors of the local agency representing the vessel. 

4. A committee headed by the State Secretary to the State Ministry of Wildlife Protection, adoption of Safety Measures including the Construction of Electrical Fences and Trenches and Re-forestation and Forest Resource Development, has been appointed to investigate into the death of oceanic life.