Avante Garde private security firm has all licenses to operate - Ruwan

26 February 2015

iThe controversial ‘Mahanuwara’ floating armoury owned by Avante Garde private security firm has all the licenses to operate such a facility, says defence state minister Ruwan Wijewardena.

He told a seminar in Colombo however, that it was still uncertain as to who had given these licenses, with the investigations now pointing at Rakna Lanka, also a private entity under the defence ministry.

Businessman Nimal Cooke, who participated in the seminar, said it was not a question of the license itself, but of the license given without any competition.

According to reports  Cooke had tried around 1 ½ years ago to get the floating armoury contract for a foreigner by the name Tarmo Kouts, a vice admiral.

His name was proposed at a meeting attended by former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, additional secretary Damayanthi Jayaratne, Palitha Fernando, Gen. K.B. Egodawela, Air Vice Marshal P.B. Hemachandra, Wing Commander Senarath Dissanayake and Nissanka Senadhipathi.

However, it had transpired that Kouts had belittled Sri Lanka and the defence ministry when giving a floating armoury project report previously, and he was not given the tender (that report is given below).

Some years ago, around 23 firms were involved in this field, but they had lost their opportunities after having engaged in weapons trafficking and misplaced 119 weapon