Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has raised concerns in Parliament over the progress and transparency of compensation efforts following the X-Press Pearl maritime disaster, questioning whether Sri Lanka has received the payments ordered by the Supreme Court.
Premadasa sought clarification on the status of the compensation, including whether the initial USD 250 million payment had been received within the stipulated timeframe and whether the full amount ordered had been secured.
He also raised concerns over reports that only a portion of the expected compensation had been received. He called for clarification on the total amount collected so far and where the funds had been deposited.
The Opposition Leader further questioned the progress of legal proceedings against those responsible for the disaster. He also sought information on the current functioning of the X-Press Pearl Compensation Commission and the reasons for delays affecting its work.
Among the issues raised were matters concerning payments to experts involved in the compensation process and the resignation of the commission’s chairman. Premadasa called for clarity on whether administrative or legal obstacles were contributing to delays.
In response, it was acknowledged that the X-Press Pearl disaster and the recovery of compensation are matters of national importance. However, officials noted that the information required to provide a comprehensive response is held by several government institutions.
These include the Attorney General’s Department, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Fisheries, Ministry of Environment, and Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation.
A two-week period was requested to obtain information from the relevant institutions and present Parliament with a comprehensive response on the compensation received, ongoing legal proceedings and the status of the X-Press Pearl Compensation Commission.
