Sanjaya Mahawatta, convener of the ‘Civil Intelligence Front’, today filed a complaint to the Bribery Commission , requesting an immediate investigation into the incident in which the government lost over Rs. 260 million by using the modern high-tech pilot vessel received in 2019 with Japanese assistance for use at the Trincomalee Port for an unauthorized private trip and causing an accident.
Speaking to the media, he said that a complaint had been previously filed with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption under the number AC/220/2025 in relation to this incident. .
The relevant complaint was notified on the 10th of February and no action has been taken so far regarding the complaint made to the Criminal Investigation Department regarding this incident, said Sanjaya Mahawatta, convener of the ‘Civil Intelligence Front’.
He stated that the complaint is a complaint with all the evidence that the government has suffered a loss of crores of rupees by misusing state property and that he believes that an investigation will be conducted expeditiously, and that more than two months have passed since the complaint was filed.
He stated that it has been learned that the accused in this case are making every effort to conceal the evidence related to this incident and that sources in the Ports Authority state that since the main accused in this incident, Ghanaka Hemachandra, is the current Managing Director of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, he is using all his powers to cover up this incident.
He pointed out that the Port Authority has suffered a huge loss due to the use of ‘elephant boats’ as an alternative to the pilot vessel, which is used to push ships, as it cannot be used for the relevant tasks, and that loss is still being incurred today. He pointed out that the Trincomalee Port conducts approximately 20 to 25 navigation operations per month and about half of those operations have been severely affected by the destruction of the aforementioned vessel.
He also stated that he would request the authorities including the President, the Minister in Charge of Ports and the Chairman of the Ports Authority to remove the main accused in this incident, Mr. Ghanaka Hemachandra, the current Managing Director of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, and Mr. Aranpath, the current Deputy Harbour Master of Trincomalee, from their posts and cooperate in the investigation into this incident.