Govt. takes over Avant Garde arms

 

By Shamindra Ferdinando-November 12, 2015, 12:00 pm 

Police headquarters yesterday said that the weapons they handed over to Rakna Araksha Lanka Ltd. (RALL) on the instructions of the Defence Ministry under the previous government had been found on Sri Lanka Shipping Company-owned Avant Garde (formerly MEROU) tug chartered by the Avant Garde Maritime Services (AGMS).

Police headquarters stressed that there hadn’t been any weapons transfers to Avant Garde and the guns had been given to fully-state owned RALL. The police were responding to our front-page story yesterday, headlined ‘Arms issued to police ended up with Avant Garde.’ The report was based on a statement made by Health Minister and Cabinet spokesman Dr. Rajitha Senaratne early this week.

Addressing a public rally at Warapitiya in the Aluthgama electorate, Dr. Senaratne said that weapons issued to Nikaweratiya and Elpitiya police stations had been found on board Avant Garde. Avant Garde carried over 800 assault rifles of two different types.

Retired Maj. Gen. K.B. Egodawela had been the Chief Executive Officer of RALL with work force of 4,000.

The vessel was returning to Galle at the end of its three-year deployment when the Navy took it into custody on Oct. 6. Avant Garde had been based at the Port Sudan in the Red Sea. Well informed sources told The Island that AGMS informed Sri Lanka Shipping Company of its decision to send back the vessel was due to decline in business in the Red Sea area. Avant Garde had been engaged in the lucrative business in providing security to foreign merchant vessels.

Sources said that that many had been confused over the naming of the tug Avant Garde as the hiring party, too, was Avant Garde.

Meanwhile, authoritative sources told The Island that all weapons on board Avant Garde had been placed under the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) pending further investigations. All weapons on board Avant had been acquired locally, sources said, adding that a second ship, Mahanuwara, chartered by AGMS carried weapons secured from overseas. Sources said that weapons from Mahanuwara would be taken over by the navy and moved to a base. Sources said that hence no private firm would be allowed to handle weapons on land or sea. Mahanuwara was due to be sold for scrap.