Rakna Lanka – Avant Garde mystery deepens

Avant Garde website lies about RALL’s ICoC status:

COI to restrict investigation to RALL:

by Rukshana Rizwie

Several questions remain unanswered as the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) continues its investigations on the activities of the controversial State-run security firm Rakna Arakshaka Lanka (RALL). Secretary to the Commission Lacille De Silva made a scathing revelation that financial audited accounts as well as reports were yet to be submitted to COI.

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“The COI has thus not received any audited or financial reports, which it should, since it is the mandate of the COI to delve into the losses that had been incurred,” said de Silva. “At present the COI is investigating and collecting evidence with regard to the despatching of RALL employees for election duty, paying them off the RALL account and the issuing of weapons to Avant Guard, in violation of procedure and the non-recovery of payment for the same.”

He noted that Former Navy Commander, Admiral Jayantha Perera, is expected to appear before the Commission to give his statement into the floating armoury belonging to RALL, while Admiral Jayanath Colombage would be summoned to appear before the Commission next week for further questioning.

Last month, the COI despatched a team of police officers to board the Avant Garde arms vessel to take stock of the weapons and ammunitions, which had been stored. Preliminary investigations found 33 individuals on board the ship including the Philippines, Ukrainian and Sri Lankan nationalities. Among the haul of weapons were 816 firearms and over 202,674 rounds of ammunition.

The serial numbers of the firearms found on the vessel had been defaced, while the crew had given contradictory statements to the authorities when questioned about the shipment.

“It is baffling as to how these weapons came to be stored on-board,” de Silva said. “However, the COI will restrict its investigation to RALL, its activities and misappropriation of funds.”

International Code of Conduct

The Avant Garde website details that the company is signatory of the ICoC (International Code of Conduct), and SAMI (Security Association Maritime Industry) membership.

According to the ICoC website, the ICoC is mandated to promote, govern and oversee implementation of the Codes of Conduct of Private Security Firms in the high seas. Avant Garde Maritime Services (Pvt) Ltd., which is a subsidiary of Avant Garde Security Services (Pvt) Ltd., states on its website that the company is a signatory of the ICoC and it had entered into joint venture with State owned RALL to provide infrastructure facilities for international maritime security services.

However, a review of the list of companies, governments and public institutions on the ICoC website reveals that only Marine One (Private) Ltd. from Sri Lanka is signatory to the ICoC.

According to the information provided, Marine One audits are undertaken by Lloyds Register Quality Assurance Limited in the UK. A cross-reference of the information provided reveals that Marine One does not have any links with RALL. The Sunday Observer has sent a formal inquiry to the ICoC requesting for information pertaining to the list of companies that are signatory to the ICoC, which may not be mentioned on the site.

The University of Denver, which has an independent research project listed as Private Security Monitor states that in 2012 RALL was enlisted by the company Seven Sails Shipping & Maritime (Pvt) in Sri Lanka to provide their services. At that time Seven Sails was signatory to the ICoC.

Where are RALL’s financial reports?

Questions have arisen as to the details of the RALL’s Annual reports, which have not been made public to-date. State companies such as Rakna Lanka are mandated to submit reports that detail and justify the company’s financial standing. Since RALL is a limited liability state run company, the annual reports ought to have been audited by the Auditor General as contemplated under the Financial control Act.

The Deputy Secretary General of Parliament Neil Iddawela told the Sunday Observer that “reports have been filed and would be taken up for investigation by the Committee on Public Enterprises.” He declined to detail if the reports were audited financial accounts but said that the next COPE sitting would reveal the status quo of the RALL’s financial statements.

Mahanuwara VesselVs Millennium City

Meanwhile, Minister of Law and Order Tilak Marapana in Parliament defended the dealings of the maritime security company and Avant Garde whilst critizing the police and Navy for racking up a controversy.

Minister Marapana who also served as an attorney for Avant Garde critized the raid of ‘Mahanuwara’ Vessel in Galle citing that it was politically motivated and comparable to the ‘Millennium City’ raid which was carried out by the UNP Government in 2002.

Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe refuted claims that he and officials of the Attorney General’s Department had taken bribes to white wash the scandal. JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake initially raised the Avant Garde issue in Parliament, while Deputy Minister of Power Ajith Perera proposed that the Attorney General and police chief be summoned for questioning over their conduct with regards to the case.

MOD conducts separate probe

Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Karunasena Hettiarachchi, who was also summoned before the Commission refused to record the proceedings but added that the Ministry of Defence was conducting separate investigation into the matter.

“The Ministry of Defence has appointed a three-member panel to conduct a separate probe into the link between Rakna Lanka and Avant Garde, which operates under the purview of the MOD,” he said. “Two of the members are outsiders whilst the third individual is employed at the MOD. They have been requested to complete their investigation and table their findings by next week.”

The Navy conducted the initial investigation and has handed over the report to the Defence Secretary Hettiarachchi. The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) also undertook a probe on a special order given by the Inspector General of Police following a formal complaint lodged by the Navy.