Sri Lanka: Avant Garde Sordid Saga

& the National Security

The following revelation on a burning issue was originally published by the www. laksa.asia.

Related Story: Avant Garde uncovered written by

Dilruksi Handunnetti published by Sunday Observer
( October 13, 2015, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) D.M.S. Dissanayake, Senior

Assistant Secretary in the Defence Ministry and the officer-in-charge of Civil Security,
has come under investigation over the controversy surrounding the Avant Garde
Maritime Services Limited.
READ IN SINHALA
Dissanayake was the official who wrote a letter to the Navy Commander to release the
vessel containing a consignment of arms for Avant Garde Maritime Services Limited.
Highly placed sources from the Defence Ministry added that the ministry would
investigate whether the senior official actually had a mandate to issue a letter of that
nature, seeking the release of the vessel. The Navy handed over an inquiry report on
the matter to Defence Secretary Karunasena Hettiarachchi yesterday.
After receiving the investigation report on the Avant Garde arms ship, jointly conducted
by the Navy and the Coastguard, the Defence Ministry decided to initiate a
comprehensive probe.
Defence Secretary Hettiarachchi yesterday confirmed that the ministry received the
investigation report on the Avant Garde arms ship.
Hettiarachchi disclosed that the report has raised several serious issues related to the
arms ship Avant Garde armoury which arrived in Sri Lanka from Sudan on October 5.
The armory is anchored at the Port of Galle. It was taken under Navy custody and
investigations were carried out allegedly due to the false information provided by the
ship Captain.
The Avant Garde vessel is alleged to have brought unauthorised firearms from Sudan
to the Galle Harbor. The vessel belonging to the private maritime security firm Avant
Garde had reached the Galle Harbor on October 5 after leaving the main Sudanese
Harbour on September 10.
Upon inspection, the Navy found that the vessel brought over 800 weapons and
firearms into the country.
The Navy launched an investigation into the Sri Lankan-flagged ship carrying a stock
of 810 weapons taken into custody after being spotted in the sea some 12 nautical
miles off Galle last Tuesday (06).
Ministers Patali Champika Ranawaka and Rajitha Senaratne were to raise issue over
a consignment of weapons that was headed for Avante Garde Maritime Services
Limited (AGMSL) in one of their vessels. They alleged that though it was claimed that
there were no weapons on board, they had information that there indeed were
weapons on board. Minister Ranawaka was more livid. He was to berate some of his
ministerial colleagues, who, he said were supporting the security firm in question. He
claimed he was even frightened to raise issues at the ministerial meeting since all
such things were reaching the ears of the owners who were filthily rich.
The issue became clearer only at Fridays meeting of the National Security Council
(NSC). Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne gave a detailed presentation of the

events. Among those taking part were President Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil
Wickremesinghe.
It transpired that Avant Garde had written to the Ministry of Defence on September 28
giving notice of the arrival of the vessel. It had listed the number of weapons and
claimed they bore registration with the Government of Sri Lanka. For some reason or
the other, the letter had remained in the MoD and no action has been pursued.
However, the Navy which conducted checks after boarding the vessel when it entered
Sri Lankas territorial waters, Vice Admiral Wijegunaratne told the NSC, found that
some of the weapons were not registered.
The vessel is now in Navys custody. Creating confusion was a letter dated October 6
signed by D.M.S. Dissanayake, Senior Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Defence
as the officer in charge of Civil Security. It had called upon the Commander of the
Navy to release the vessel. He was perhaps acting somewhat belatedly on the earlier
letter sent to the MoD by Avante Garde. This letter had been released to sections of
the media to suggest that the vessel had been cleared. However, the Navy did not
carry out the request in the wake of its findings. Dissanayake was earlier number two
to Damayanthi Jayaratne who was then in charge of civil security matters in the MoD
and has since been transferred out.
There was a suggestion at the NSC meeting that the Navy conduct an inquiry and files
action against those involved if there were violations of the law. Vice Admiral
Wijegunaratne politely declined the request and said the Navy was unable to proceed
with any court action. This was on the grounds that the matter was the responsibility of
the Police. The Navy will now keep the vessel under detention whilst a probe is
conducted.
This was confirmed by official Navy spokesperson Commander Indika Silva. He said
the vessel in question has not been released as yet. The Navy commander has
ordered an inquiry into the matter. Until the investigations are concluded the vessel will
not be released. Once the report is handed over to the Navy commander it will be
forwarded to the Defence Ministry which will take a decision on the matter. This is
whilst a ministerial team headed by President Sirisena will meet next week to identify
ten different big time cases to be investigated. As revealed in these columns, two
such investigations relate to Avant Garde and the RADA (Reconstruction and
Development Agency).
The story of the vessel carrying weapons had broken when official Government
spokesperson and Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne addressed the regular postCabinet news conference on Thursday. Commenting on the episode, he said, The
President has given orders to take all legal action. They have (the vessel operators)
said upon entering Sri Lankan waters that they did not have weapons. But they did !
Meanwhile, the Avant-Garde Security Services Ltd. agreed to pay Rs. 9100 million
within next 10 months, to Rakna Arakshaka Lanka, for the service the company
obtained, Accountant of Rakna Arakshaka Lanka Prasad Indika informed the
Presidential Commission of Inquiry yesterday (8).

He informed this while making a statement in front of the commission.The Accountant

further said that Rakna Arakshaka Lanka was able to pay dividends to the government
for two years after establishing.However, after 2009, the firm could not obtain profits
from its operations, he added.
CID informed the Galle magistrate court today (21st May) that Avant Gard established
under the Rakna Lanka Company which was managed under the direct supervision of
former defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has deposited a large sum of money
in fixed and normal accounts operated through banks in several foreign countries.
CID has informed these information to the court regarding the investigations and court
trials that are being carried out by CID on allegedly maintenance of a floating arms
store in the Galle port by Avant Gard.
However, CID has not exposedany information on amount of the money deposited and
countries and banks where such money was deposited. CID has requested a court
order from the magistrate to keep all Avant Gard documents under the security of CID.
After considering the facts made by Avant Gard lawyer, magistrate requested the CID
to submit a list of documents exactly required by the CID and fix a next court trial date
to 5th June.

News from the archives

Update 15th April 2015
The sordid saga continues with Avant Chairman and Gotabaya still evading arrest. The
latest being the revelation by cabinet minister Rajitha Senaratne claiming that he was
offered a bribe of Rs 20 million per month in order to cover up the Avant-Garde issue.
Speaking at post Cabinet media briefing in Colombo today, the Minister of Health and
Indigenous Medicine stated that the individuals who attempted to bribe him earn a
monthly income of around Rs 250 million.
Refusing to divulge any names, Dr. Senaratne alleged that because the attempt to
bribe him had failed they had spread a story accusing his son of detaining an
underage girl.
He further said that the bribe had been extended through one of his friends and that
he did not disclose the incident because of that friend. The minister says that he is in
the possession of an audio tape proving the attempted bribe.
Update 23rd April 2015
Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa arrived at the Bribery Commission
this morning to answer charges on the Avant Garde Case
Meanwhile, a tense situation prevailed due to a protest staged by several
organisations and political parties including Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) outside the
Commission.

28th Jan, 2015

It is known in many circles for years that Maj. NissankaYapaSenadhipathi (chairman
Avant-garde) and former defence secretary shared a close link after the Maj. Nissanka
purchased the defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapakses house in los angeles 10
years ago for around 500,000 usd when his fortunes were not as prosperous.
what was not known is how the Rajapakse would repay this purchase until
yesterdayday that is! when the whole country found out how a floating armoury
which should have been operated by the Navy was given on a platter without any
tenders called to this private security firm.
These operations constitute on average a revenue of US$2.4 million per month,
industry sources claimed explaining that since there were about 700 vessel transfers
carried out per month the charges carried out for the deposit or removal of armoury
amounted to $3500 per transaction.
Yet as fate would have it The Colombo Chief Magistrate yesterday ordered police to
temporarily seize the passport of the head of the private security firm contracted to run
a floating armoury off the Galle Harbour.
Avant-Garde Security Services Chairman Maj. NissankaYapaSenadhipathi would be
prevented from leaving the country on the request of the Criminal Investigation
Department, the Chief Magistrate decreed.
Senadhipathis passport would be seized temporarily because the CID said his exit
from the country could hinder their investigation.
Earlier this week Police detained a ship carrying 12 container loads of weapons at the
Galle Harbour.
The vessel MV Mahanuwara was found to be a floating armoury operated by AvantGarde Maritime Services (AGMS), a subsidiary of private security firm Avant-Garde
Security Services Ltd.
The armoury was contracted to the private security firm, the Sri Lanka Navy said.
Fourteen naval officers were also onboard the vessel owned by the company. AvantGarde was granted the contract by Rakna Lanka, the controversial security firm
operating under the Defence Ministry.
The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean in the world, and borders over thirty
nations. It is a resource rich ocean, with enormous reserves of oil, natural gas,
minerals and a wealth of biological resources. It is estimated that approximately
60,000 ships cross the Indian Ocean each year, including nearly half of the worlds
containerised cargo. Only twenty per cent of the cargo transported through the Indian
Ocean is traded within the region; the remaining eighty per cent is extra regional.
The owner of the floating armoury that was seized by the police at the Galle Port
yesterday is linked to former Defence Secretary GotabhayaRajapaksa. The Police
Department yesterday stated that the ship, MahanuwaraNauka, detained with 12
container loads of weapons was charted by Avant Garde security agency. Avant Garde

is a private security firm is owned by a retired military officer NissankaSenadhipathi,

who has close links with GotabhayaRajapaksa. Report state that Major
NissankaSenadhipathi was commissioned in the Sri Lanka Army and graduated from
the Pakistan Military Academy as the first direct enlisted officer to the Commando
Regiment.
He was also a member of the Anti-Hijack and Hostage Release Unit of the Commando
Regiment and deployed at the Colombo international airport. Due to his performance,
Senadhipathi was also handpicked to serve as the personal bodyguard of the Sri
Lankan President. The former Defence Secretary has reportedly been connected to
the maritime security division of Avant Garde.
Advisor to the Avant Garde Company, former Navy Commander
SomathilakaDissanayake told the media that Avant Garde Maritime Services (Pvt) Ltd
had even entered into a joint venture with Government Owned Business Undertaking
(GOBU) of RaknaArakshaka Lanka Ltd (RALL) of Sri Lanka to provide infrastructure
facilities for international maritime security services. RaknaArakshaka Lanka was
initiated by GotabhayaRajapaksa.
Posted by Thavam