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The owners and managers of STROVOLOS (IMO: 9178056), a Bahamas-flagged oil tanker, strongly protest against the arrest of the vessel’s crew. This occurred when the Indonesian Marine Police boarded the vessel at 01:28 (local time) on Friday, 25 September., over a protracted dispute concerning the tanker’s crude oil cargo.

It is understood this police action followed an intervention by the Cambodian government which claims the cargo was transported illegally. This claim is made without foundation and is utterly rejected. The crew members remain under detention and are being interrogated ashore in shifts.

The crew are the innocent victims of wrongful conduct by the Government of Cambodia in violation of their human rights. The crew were serving on board the tanker when it was chartered to KrisEnergy (Apsara) Co. Ltd. Under this charter, the oil that was loaded was extracted by KrisEnergy from the Apsara Oil Field in the Gulf of Thailand.

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The vessel’s owners understood that the chartering company was contracted by the Government of Cambodia as part of a commercial oil development projection and gave it the right to sell the oil subject to payment of royalties.

During the charter, the KrisEnergy Group ran into financial difficulties. When informed by the Master of the vessel that it was running out of fuel, KrisEnergy told the vessel’s owners that they were unable to comply with their obligation to pay hire, which included the supply of fuel.

It was unsafe for the vessel to remain in the Apsara Oil Field. For the safety of the crew, the cargo and the vessel – to mitigate against any subsequent environmental casualty – the vessel sailed to the nearest convenient port to refuel.

The charter was terminated due to the charterers’ breaches of key obligations. As a matter of law, the vessel was under no obligation to return to Apsara. Legally, whoever proves ownership and the right to sell the cargo (to the Owners’ satisfaction or as may be determined by the appropriate Court if there is a dispute about ownership) is obliged to make arrangements to offload it upon payment of the sums owed to the Owners.

The Government of Cambodia has not provided any proof to the Owners to support its claim that it owns the cargo on board the vessel. KrisEnergy told the Owners that they objected to the cargo being released to the Government of Cambodia as that would be contrary to their ownership rights.

The Owners believe there have been ongoing talks between the Government of Cambodia, KrisEnergy and KrisEnergy’s Receivers to come to an agreement about the sale of the oil on board the vessel and the payments duly claimed by the Owners.

While waiting for a resolution of the dispute, the Owners and the crew have taken proper care of the cargo at considerable expense and want nothing more than for it to be offloaded by mutual agreement as soon as is practical. In the meantime, they moved the vessel offshore of Batam pending a long-awaited crew change.

The crew have far exceeded their contractual period of employment and are entitled to be repatriated to their families. All they have done is to perform their duties as seafarers in bringing the vessel, first to a safe place to refuel, and then to anchor off Batam to await the crew change.

There has never been any intention or suggestion that anything would be done with the oil on board other than to offload it as soon as its ownership is proved, and agreement is reached about payment to the Owners of the money which they are owed.

The Government has not proven to Owners its claim that it owns the oil on board the vessel and no agreement has been reached with KrisEnergy about payment of the money owed to the Owners. Neither have Kris Energy revoked their statement that they object to the oil being released to the Government of Cambodia.

World Tankers believes the Government of Cambodia has failed to resolve matters with KrisEnergy and is now adopting the unpleasant and unethical tactic of trying to use the Request for Assistance to coerce the Owners to accept their claims without proof or payment. This is totally unacceptable.

The Owners are forced now to raise their deep concern, at the highest governmental and diplomatic levels, that this conduct violates the human rights of an innocent crew.

The Owners have grave concern that there would not be due and proper process and a fair trial in Cambodia. This concern stems from the fact that the Prime Minster of Cambodia and his Ministers have made public statements saying the crew are guilty of theft, which is inappropriate and contrary to the basic principle of justice.

The Owners hope and expect the Indonesian Government rightly, and in accordance with local and international principles of justice, to reject the Request for Assistance and to order the immediate release of the crew so that they may freely go home to their families.

STROVOLOS (IMO: 9178056) is a 47106-dwt oil tanker, registered in the Bahamas.

Press Release

Owners Of Oil Tanker ‘Strovolos’ Protest Against Arrest Of The Vessel’s Crew appeared first on Marine Insight – The Maritime Industry Guide

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