The government decided to cancel all agreements with Avant Garde Maritime Services and to hand over the operations to the Sri Lanka Navy, Cabinet Spokesman Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said.

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He made this disclosure following the special meeting on the Avant Garde controversy held at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena.

The meeting was attended by all stakeholders, including the military. The Navy Commander spoke of the security implications of such a business being handled by a private entity, Senratne said.

The Avant Garde controversy, which began this January when a floating armoury was discovered from Galle Harbour, intensified recently with a speech given by JVP leader Anura Dissanayake in Parliament. The subsequent developments forced Tilak Marapana to resign as Law and Order Minister on Monday.