Sri Lanka, Dec. 11 -- A motion has been filed before the Supreme Court requesting that the court conduct a hearing and impose suitable punishment on the Board of Directors of the X-Press Pearl shipping company for contempt of court.

The motion argues that the Board defied the Supreme Court's order to pay a compensation amount of US$ 1 billion for the damage caused by the vessel's fire in Sri Lankan waters.

The motion, submitted by the petitioner, the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ), also requests that their previously filed fundamental rights petition related to the disaster be recalled for hearing.

The Supreme Court had ordered the shipping company and its board of directors to pay the billion-dollar compensation for the damage...