WAMCO worker death: PGO decides against prosecuting excavator driver

The Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) has decided not to pursue criminal charges against a Sri Lankan national arrested in connection with the death of a foreign worker at a worksite in K. Thilafushi, citing insufficient evidence to establish negligence.

Ameen Mia, 24, of Bangladesh, a WAMCO employee, went missing from Thilafushi on January 26. His body was found two days later, on January 28.

Police arrested Heshan Madranga Dissanayake Menika Durayala, 32, of Sri Lanka, on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter.

The PGO determined that there was no evidence to suggest negligence on the part of the excavator operator that led to the death of Ameen Mia. According to the Office, a police reenactment of the incident found that the operator would not have been able to see the victim due to the lighting conditions at the site. It also established that Ameen Mia was positioned approximately 10 feet away from the excavator at the time of the incident.

Although the Police initially sought to prosecute the excavator operator on charges of involuntary manslaughter, PGO noted that Amin Mia was not authorized to be in that area as part of his assigned duties. The office further stated that the Waste Management Corporation (WAMCO) had restricted access to the landfill area due to safety concerns. Additionally, investigators found no evidence of any prior dispute or hostility between the excavator operator and the deceased.

According to police, Ameen Mia died on the afternoon of January 26. Investigators believe he fell after being struck by an excavator while clearing waste at a dump site. The excavator continued moving rubbish to another location, and Ameen’s body was carried along with the waste and buried under it.

The Police said CCTV footage from the scene shows the excavator hitting Ameen, after which work continued without interruption.

Following the incident and his subsequent detention, Heshan Maduranga has requested to be repatriated to his home country.