Mini-battles, cross-fire continue over Avant Garde

By Dharisha Bastians

The Avant Garde controversy continued to cause major divisions in the ruling administration, after Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapaksa denied reports that the President had ordered the cancellation of all Government contracts with the private security firm.

Cabinet Spokesman Rajitha Senaratne, speaking to reporters at the cabinet briefing yesterday contradicted the Justice Minister’s remarks to the press, saying Rajapaksa had been present at Wednesday’s special Cabinet meeting, but stayed silent through the entire discussion.

The Justice Minister told reporters that there had been no decision made at the special cabinet meeting to cancel the deals with Avant Garde. He said President Maithripala Sirisena had only asked officials to look into the possibility of cancelling the deals and handing the operations over to the Sri Lanka Navy.

But Senaratne yesterday dismissed Minister Rajapakse’s remarks.

“He talks only to the press. Why didn’t he speak at the cabinet meeting when everyone was there?” Minister Senaratne charged, on the offensive.

The Cabinet Spokesman said that Solicitor General Suhada Gamlath who had also been present during the meeting had agreed that the Navy could take over the operation.

“The Navy Commander very clearly said they could take over and the President gave him the instruction,” Minister Senaratne said.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Navy confirmed it will commence taking custody of Government weapons in Avant Garde’s possession today (13) as a first step, Navy Spokesman Captain Akram Alawi told Daily FT last night.

Captain Alawi said the Sri Lanka Navy had received directives from the President and the Ministry of Defence about taking custody of the weapons in Avant Garde’s possession and taking over the company’s operation.

“The operations will be taken over in due course. But as a first step we will take the weapons and equipment into custody and keep them at naval bases in Galle,” the Spokesman told Daily FT.

Captain Alawi said that the Sri Lanka Navy had received directives from the President after the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday night, but added that the Navy had been waiting on a directive from the Ministry of Defence to take custody of Avant Garde weapons.