X-Press Pearl owners have paid $1 million of the $1 billion Sri Lanka's top court ordered
The Singapore-flagged MV X-Press Pearl burned and sank off Colombo in May-June 2021, releasing nitric acid and other chemicals and about 1,680 tonnes of plastic pellets along roughly 80 km of coast. On 24 July 2025 Sri Lanka's Supreme Court found that then-minister Nalaka Godahewa and the Marine Environment Protection Authority had violated fundamental rights by failing to act, and ordered the ship's owners, operators and local agent to pay an initial US$1 billion, with US$250 million due first. X-Press Feeders' chief executive told AFP the company would not comply, and its local agent told the court it had paid Rs 300 million (about US$1 million) and could pay no more. The court asked the Attorney General to report on steps against the non-paying companies; Sri Lanka's case in the Singapore International Commercial Court is on hold pending London proceedings. In October 2026 the Centre for Environmental Justice, a petitioner, said only US$1 million had been paid.
However, only $ 1 million has reportedly been paid to date.
violated fundamental human rights by failing to take appropriate action to prevent the environmental catastrophe
told AFP that the company would not comply with the ruling
his client had already paid Rs 300 million (US$ 1 million) as part of the compensation but was financially unable to make any further payments
lack the ability and resources to raise a sum of USD 250 million to make the first tranche payment
CEO Shmuel Yoskovitz told AFP the company would not comply, citing the principle of limiting liability.
Told the Supreme Court it had paid Rs 300 million and lacked resources to pay the first US$250 million tranche.
Not yet contacted for this story.
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No outcome recorded yet.