The Sirasa Media Network has been interested in the Avant Garde issue as Cooke is a friend of its owner Killy Maharaja.

According to reports reaching Sri Lanka Mirror, Cooke had attempted around one and a half years ago to get the floating armoury contract to a foreigner by the name Tarmo Kouts, who is a vice admiral and a former defence chief of Estonia.

His name was submitted at a meeting attended by former defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, additional secretary Damayanthi Jayaratne, Gen. Palitha Fernando, Gen. K.B. Egodawela, Air Vice Marshal P.B. Hemachandra, Wing Commander Senarath Dissanayake and Nissanka Senadhipathi.

Kouts had lost the contract as he had demeaned Sri Lanka and the defence ministry in a report he had previously submitted to obtain a similar project.

On that occasion, Gotabhaya had reprimanded and expelled Cooke.

The document is produced below:

A few years back, 23 companies had got involved in this field and 15 of them had lost their chances after misplacing 119 weapons.