-By A Special Correspondent
(Lanka-e-News -22.Dec.2024, 11.00 PM) Ah, Colombo, the land of spicy curries, cricket enthusiasts, and apparently, over-the-top international scandals involving…mattresses and carpets. Yes, you heard that right. A seemingly innocuous tale of cross-border commerce involving bedding and floor décor has spiraled into an international investigation spanning Sri Lanka, the UK, and the US. And at the heart of this storm is a shipping company headquartered in the infamous Icelandic Building in Colombo.
This is no ordinary saga of exports and re-exports. Oh no. This is a story of corporate pettiness, media manipulation, and the unexpected consequences of picking a fight with Britain over something as mundane as second-hand carpets.
To set the scene, let’s travel back to 2017-2018, when a British company, VENGAADS Limited, engaged in the perfectly legal (if not terribly exciting) business of exporting used mattresses and carpets from the UK to a free trade zone in Katunayake, Sri Lanka. The plan? Re-export them from Sri Lanka to other markets.
All seemed well until July 2019, when someone with a flair for drama decided this mundane trade deal was the perfect fodder for a scandal. Enter the mysterious shipping company in the Icelandic Building. An executive from this company, who apparently had a personal grudge against Advantis, a company involved in the free zone operations, decided to stir the pot.
In a move that can only be described as “extra,” this executive tipped off Derana, a popular Sri Lankan media outlet, with a juicy (and wildly misleading) story. The narrative? That the British government, in some nefarious plot, was behind the improper export of used mattresses and carpets to Sri Lanka. Never mind that this was clearly the work of private companies.
Derana took the bait, cameras rolling as they stormed into the free zone premises to expose this supposed scandal. The resulting broadcast painted Britain as a villain, sparking a wave of anti-British sentiment. Suddenly, everyone from tea vendors to tuk-tuk drivers was talking about how Britain had wronged Sri Lanka with its rogue bedding.
Here’s where things get messy. The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) in Sri Lanka did find some irregularities in VENGAADS Limited’s exports. But these were procedural issues by a private company, not an international conspiracy. Still, thanks to the Icelandic Building whistleblower’s antics, the issue spiraled out of control.
The British government, bemused and slightly annoyed, had to step in to clean up the mess. In an act of damage control, they covered the costs to re-export the items back to the UK. But the damage was done. Britain’s reputation had taken a hit, and relations with Sri Lanka were momentarily strained.
Fast forward to today, and the shipping company in the Icelandic Building is facing a serious case of “karma strikes back.”
The original tip-off, which was meant to tarnish Advantis and perhaps settle a petty business dispute, has backfired spectacularly. The British authorities, known for their stiff upper lips and love of thorough investigations, are now scrutinizing the shipping company. To make matters worse, the sister of VENGAADS Limited’s owner, who resides in the UK, has become entangled in the mess.
And then there’s the lawyer. Yes, one of the shipping company’s close friends, a lawyer based in the UK, is also under scrutiny. The British authorities suspect this lawyer may have helped orchestrate the anti-British propaganda campaign, turning what was already a ridiculous situation into an international legal soap opera.
As if things weren’t chaotic enough, Sri Lanka’s Board of Investment (BOI) has decided to revisit the entire debacle. They’re investigating how and why Derana was involved in broadcasting what now appears to be a highly exaggerated story. Who tipped them off? Why did they frame the issue as a government scandal instead of focusing on the private companies involved?
These are the questions keeping Colombo’s bureaucrats and journalists busy as they unravel the web of grudges, misinformation, and questionable motives.
At its core, this story isn’t really about mattresses or carpets. It’s about what happens when corporate disputes, media sensationalism, and bad PR collide. The Icelandic Building shipping company executive thought they were settling a score. Instead, they’ve sparked an international incident that has everyone from the US State Department to the EU Trade Commission watching closely.
Meanwhile, the British government, which had nothing to do with the initial exports, is left scratching its head. The whole affair has been an expensive headache, both financially and diplomatically. But if there’s one thing the Brits are good at, it’s handling absurd situations with a cup of tea and a stiff upper lip.
What can we learn from this saga?
1. Don’t mess with mattresses: Seriously, who knew they could cause such drama?
2. Think before you tip off the media: If your goal is to settle a petty business dispute, maybe don’t drag international relations into it.
3. The truth always comes out: The Icelandic Building shipping company’s attempt to paint Britain as the villain has not only failed but also put them squarely in the spotlight.
As the investigations continue, the Icelandic Building shipping company finds itself in hot water. The BOI, British authorities, and even the US are digging deeper into the motives and players behind the anti-British campaign.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is left to pick up the pieces of its temporarily strained relationship with the UK. The free zone in Katunayake, which was supposed to be a hub for smooth re-export operations, is now infamous for a scandal involving old carpets and used mattresses.
And the rest of us? Well, we’re left with a bizarre tale to tell about how a petty corporate grudge escalated into an international fiasco.
In the immortal words of Shakespeare, “All the world’s a stage.” And in this case, the Icelandic Building shipping company was the over-enthusiastic actor who forgot their lines and ended up with a very public, very messy spotlight.
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by (2024-12-22 21:46:43)
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