What happened to the billion dollars in X-Press Pearl compensation?
The environmental, fisheries and economic damage caused to Sri Lanka by the X-Press Pearl, which caught fire and sank off the coast of Sri Lanka in May 2021, became the worst environmental disaster in history.
After a legal battle lasting almost four years, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgment on July 24, 2025.
It was no ordinary judgment...
The Supreme Court ordered the parties involved in the X-Press Pearl to pay an initial compensation of US$1 billion. The amount was approximately Rs.298 billion at the exchange rate at the time.
The judgment stated that this was not the final compensation and that more compensation could be ordered in the future.
The first installment of US$250 million was to be paid before September 23, 2025.
But... the money was not received.
X-Press Feeders and its insurers announced on September 23, 2025 that they would not make the payment. They said that the ruling could lead to unlimited claims in the future and that it would affect the international maritime liability system.
So the fundamental question we have to ask here is this.
Why has Sri Lanka not been able to receive the money despite the Supreme Court ordering a billion dollars in compensation?
Why is this being asked of the Chief Justice?......
There is a special fact here that the public should know.
The historic ruling was given on July 24, 2025 by a five-judge bench headed by the then Chief Justice Murudu Fernando.
In that ruling, the court said that the proceedings did not end there.
The ruling stated that the court should continue to retain its power and continue to monitor the implementation of the orders.
Furthermore, the judgment also stated that necessary steps should be taken to fill the vacancy in the five-member bench after the new Chief Justice was appointed to replace the then Chief Justice who was scheduled to retire.
Three days later, on July 27, 2025, Mr. Preethi Padman Surasena was appointed as the Chief Justice.
Therefore, our intention here is not to make unfair accusations against any person.
We are only asking a few very simple questions.
1. What happened to the issue of maintaining the continuity of the original five-member bench as mentioned in the judgment?
2. What steps did Mr. Preethi Padman Surasena, as the new Chief Justice, take in accordance with paragraph 899 of the judgment?
3. What steps did the court take to recover the first installment of $250 million after it was not received on September 23, 2025?
4. How was the judicial supervision of the implementation of the compensation order carried out?
5. What legal or administrative obstacle has prevented Sri Lanka from converting its legal entitlement of $1 billion into practical cash today?
There is another important point....
In September 2025, the matter of the parties involved in the X-Press Pearl not paying compensation came before the Supreme Court again.
The hearing was held before a three-judge bench. At that time, a report was requested from the Attorney General on the steps that could be taken to implement the order.
It is natural for the public to have another question here.
While the court continued to retain its power by the decision of July 24, 2025, how did the subsequent proceedings in that case change?
What is the legal reason for that change?
Is this an accusation against the Chief Justice?...
No. We are saying that an explanation is needed in this regard.
Because the legal path for the country to receive a billion dollars had been opened by the Supreme Court decision.
The court itself had ordered the payment of that amount.
A specific date had even been set for the payment of the first installment.
But when that date came, the money was not received.
X-Press Feeders' own statements confirm that the party refused to pay that payment.
So, is this only the responsibility of the shipping company? Or is it a weakness in the law enforcement mechanism of the Sri Lankan state? Or,
Is it a problem in the process of implementing the court order? Or is it a combination of all of these?
The public has every right to know about this.
A billion dollars is not a small amount....
A billion dollars is not a number that can usually be forgotten in a political conversation.
It is a burden that should be paid by the tax money of the people of Sri Lanka, a deductible amount.
It is money that can be used to compensate fishermen, restore the marine environment, conserve the coast, reduce environmental damage,
prevent future marine disasters,
and restore the lives of the people that have been destroyed to some extent.
The Supreme Court had even ordered that the money should be directed to a separate Compensation and Environment Restoration and Protection Fund and used for compensation and environmental restoration.
If so,
Can even a single step in the process of obtaining such money be allowed to be delayed?
What we need is not a political answer....
What we need is a documented answer.
Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena has several things to explain to the country. They are,
• What did Mr. Surasena do after the July 24, 2025 verdict?
• What steps did the court take to implement that verdict?
• What happened with the continuation of the original five-judge bench?
• What steps were taken after the non-payment of $250 million?
• How much of the $1 billion has Sri Lanka actually received to date?
• What legal steps are currently being taken to obtain the remaining amount?
These are not asked to damage the honor of the Chief Justice. They are to protect the independence of the judiciary.
Because the credibility of the judiciary is not maintained by not asking questions. The independence of the judiciary is maintained
when clear, evidence-based answers are given to questions.
The final question.....
On July 24, 2025, the people of Sri Lanka received a historic legal victory.
A billion dollars in compensation.
Today we have to ask:
“Where is that billion?”
“What is the obstacle to obtaining it?”
“How was the court order implemented?”
“Where was the process weak?”
“Who is responsible?”
The country should receive an explanation from Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena on these questions.
A billion dollars is not anyone’s private money. It is compensation due to the people of this country. Therefore, searching for “What happened to the X-Press Pearl compensation?” is not a political objective, but the right of the people.
It is the responsibility of a government to obtain compensation for the destruction caused to the country’s environment. Once the court orders the compensation to be paid, it is also the responsibility of the judicial system to implement it.
Therefore, the country should know what happened to the one billion dollar compensation.
Chief Justice, does the country have a clear answer to this question?
Jayalathge Sunil Gamini ✍️
