Avant Garde

The Presidential Commission of Inquiry has recommended filing criminal cases against 13 individuals including former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Avant Garde Chairman Nissanka Senadhipathi over the Avant Garde case. The final report of Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Serious Acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power, State Resources and Privileges (PRECIFAC) was tabled […]

A corruption case filed against former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and seven others for allegedly causing a Rs.11.4 billion unlawful loss to the government by permitting Avant-Garde Maritime Services (Pvt) Ltd to operate a floating armoury was fixed for August 11 by Colombo Chief Magistrate’s court on 12th July. When the matter came up before […]

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s presidential commission investigating serious abuse of power and financial fraud Thursday cleared the way for prosecutions of former defence chief Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and four others. Rajapakse cohorts include two former navy commanders — retired admirals Jayantha Colombage and Jayantha Perera, additional defence secretary Damayanthi Jayaratne and Avant Garde chairman Nissanka Senadhipathi. […]

Ministers Champika Ranawaka, Dr Rajitha Seenaratne and Arjuna Ranatunga today requested the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to investigate the allegations made against them by the Chairman of Avant Garde Private Limited, Nissanka Senadhipathi. In a joint letter to the IGP, the Cabinet ministers state that Major (Rtd) Nissanka Senadhipathi in an interview given to […]

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s government Wednesday decided to revoke a purported agreement Avant Garde had entered into with the defence minister under former secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and asked the navy to take over the private firm’s operations. Cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said President Sirisena ordered the immediate cancellation of the so called joint venture deal […]

DEFENCE COMPANY:  Rakna Arakshaka Lanka is one of a large number of state companies incorporated under Sri Lanka’s company law without a governing act of parliament in recent years.  ECONOMYNEXT – A just concluded audit of weapons at the defence ministry’s private sector arm known as Rakna Arakshaka Lanka Limited (RALL) has led to a shocking […]

 ECONOMYNEXT – Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s coalition faced the first major threat of a split Thursday as two key ministers threatened to either quit or bring down cabinet colleagues defending the Avant Garde arms scandal. Clashes erupted at Thursday’s cabinet meeting which followed a parliamentary debate during which two government ministers made stunning declarations that […]

Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka today hit out at Law and Order Minister Tilak Marapana and Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe saying that if what they said in parliament over the Avant-Garde floating armoury ship was true, then an inquiry should be launched against the police and action taken against them. “The Law and Order Minister will […]

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s Law and Order minister Tilak Marapana Wednesday launched a staunch defence of the controversial private maritime security company Avant Garde and in the process criticised the police under his control. Marapana, who had been retained earlier in the year by Avant Garde as its attorney, devoted his time in parliament Wednesday […]

 Sri Lanka’s defence authorities have made a chilling discovery that the seized Avant Garde floating armoury had sailed close to the strategically sensitive Indian islet of Minicoy with illegal weapons. The controversial vessel which was boarded by Sri Lanka’s navy in early October and now the subject of several investigations is known to have travelled […]

( An Avant Garde armory) Twenty two containers with 3,154 firearms and 745,859 rounds of ammunition detected at Galle Port – 8.1.2015. The CID commences investigations on the order of the IGP – 9.1.2015. Court impounds the ship owner’s passport – 23.1.2015. Prohibition on ship owner’s passport lifted and passport released on the recommendation of […]

More than 15 instances of telephone conversations have taken place between the owner of Avan Garde and the Attorney General’s Department reveals the Leader of the JVP Anura Dissanayaka. Mr. Dissanayaka revealed this participating in a Parliamentary debate held today (8th) to strengthen bilateral relations with China. He said there is no proper process of […]