Bribery Commission charges Gota and 7 others with Rs. 11.4 b unlawful profit from Avant Garde

The Bribery Commission on Wednesday charged former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and seven others with illegally maintaining a private floating armoury.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption filed charges at the Colombo Magistrates’ Court against the former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Chairman of controversial Avant Garde Maritime Services Ltd. Major Nissanka Senadhipathi and six others, including three former navy commanders.

The eight former defence officials were charged with allowing the company Avant Garde Ltd. to maintain a floating armoury and provide sea marshal services, giving them the opportunity to make an unlawful profit of Rs. 11. 4 billion.

The floating armoury came to light after the Sri Lankan Navy boarded a ship containing a massive cache of weapons docked at the Galle Harbour in October last year.

In a joint venture with state-owned Rakna Arakshaka Lanka Ltd. (RALL), Avant Garde Maritime Services Ltd., a subsidiary of Avant Garde Security Services Ltd, provided infrastructure facilities for international maritime security services.