MT New Diamond is a very large crude carrier. On 3 September 2020, the ship caught fire off the western coast of Sri Lanka, resulting in the death of a Filipino crew member. After burning intermittently for almost a week, the fire was reported to be extinguished by 11 September. In July 2021 the ship was beached at Gadani Ship Breaking Yard.

Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe told Parliament that the vessel had been released and was allowed to be taken away, despite the Attorney General having made representations to the effect that the vessel must not be released from Sri Lankan waters without compensation.

He also tabled in Parliament, a document purported to be correspondence from the then Foreign Secretary Jayanath Colambage addressed to the Commander of the Navy and the Chairperson of Marine Environment Protection Authority informing them to release the vessel.

The email correspondence says, “HE the President has directed me to inform you to release MT New Diamond considering the potential danger of keeping the unmanned and damaged ship in Sri Lankan EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) due to deteriorating weather.”