Announcing his resignation as Minister of Law and Order and Prisons Reform, Tilak Marapana acknowledged conflict of interest in the Avant-Garde case as a main reason for his decision.

Marapana is the lawyer representing Avant-Garde Maritime Services and he was the Law and Order Minister, who was in charge of the Police.

He acknowledged the notion that the police may not conduct an independent inquiry against the Avant-Garde company when he was in charge as the Minister of Law and Order.

Meanwhile, Marapana expressed confidence that his client, the Avant-Garde Maritime Services, will be cleared in the case.

The Avant-Garde controversy begane in January this year when a 'floating armoury' was discovered in Galle Harbour. The controversy exploded last Wednesday during a fiery speech by JVP leader Anura Dissanayake, who accused the government of 'covering-up' the whole incident.

The government was a victim of dealers, he accused.

Marapana was widely condemned for his comments on the police raid in January, which he described as an attempt to 'score points' from the new government.