Avant-Garde all at sea

• Govt. revokes all agreement following special Cabinet meeting; President hands operation over to Sri Lanka Navy

Avant Garde Mahanuwara ship 

By Dharisha Bastians 

The Government of Sri Lanka has decided to revoke all agreements with the private security company Avant-Garde Maritime Services, following a special meeting chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena last evening. 

President Sirisena convened a special meeting of the Cabinet and all parties concerned with the Avant-Garde controversy at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday. 

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Spokesman Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said that the President had conducted a very clear discussion with all those parties involved.  “The Navy Commander was also present at this meeting and he clearly laid out the repercussions of these agreements with Avant-Garde,” Minister Senaratne revealed. 

He said the President had decided that all the contracts with Avant-Garde were cancelled and the Sri Lanka Navy would henceforth conduct the same operation.  All weapons currently with Avant-Garde were to be handed back to the Navy, the Minister added.  Senaratne explained that the Navy Commander had informed the President that the Sri Lanka Navy was fully capable of carrying out the same operation directly.

Avant-Garde

The decision to call this meeting was made a special cabinet meeting held on Monday (9), to discuss the arms scandal that had caused a major controversy within the Government. 

Several Government Ministers are under fire for their defence of the controversial company that was granted a contract by the former regime to operate floating armouries using Sri Lankan Government weapons.