- Owner refuses to pay wages, inflicting danger to seafarers’ lives and protection as ships are with none insurance coverage quilt and ensure.
- Pakistani seafarers are on four vessels particularly (*86*), Sol, Lua and Ariana.
- All four vessels don’t have any insurance coverage quilt and their group have no longer been paid for over nearly four months.
LONDON: Lives of no less than 86 Pakistani seafarers are in danger on four Saint James Shipping-owned vessels over the landlord’s refusal to pay wages, inflicting danger to their lives and protection because the ships are with none insurance coverage quilt and ensure.
The Pakistani seafarers are on four vessels particularly (*86*), Sol, Lua and Ariana — owned by means of Saint James Shipping Limited and controlled by means of Global Radiance Ship Management (GRSM) and financed by means of US-based Entrust.
All four vessels don’t have any insurance coverage quilt and their group have no longer been paid for over nearly four months, in keeping with to be had proof, in keeping with a criminal supply who’s concerned in the preparation of a criminal case for the United Kingdom High Court.
The four vessels are missing elementary provides for humanitarian wishes and spares to stay the vessels protected for the group and send in seaworthy situation. Singapore-based Manager GRSM has been footing the invoice and offering for the vessels for the closing yr, with assurances from the Saint James control — CEO Sam Tari Verdi and Managing Director Panagiotis Postatziz (Agis) — that the ones bills can be made. The GRSM mentioned that
It’s understood that send managers on the GRSM team have contacted Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to appraise them of the location round 23 Pakistani individuals who’re on Ship Ariana in the port of Al Mokha, Yemen, which is asserted as a War Zone space.
Pakistani group individuals are struggling and dwelling with uncertainty and with out elementary must haves and with out the desired insurance coverage for the reason that send proprietor didn’t fulfil his criminal duties in opposition to the group individuals and take care of the vessel protected and sea-worthy.
The criminal supply shared that this vessel used to be towed to the port because of engine issues. The Pakistani group individuals, in keeping with the supply, had been compelled to disembark in Al Mokha regardless of realizing that the vessel used to be in a battle zone and it might be unsafe for the group to disembark in the battle zone.
The supply shared that the situation of the group is very unhealthy which the vessel proprietor purposely did to the level that they didn’t supply water and meals for the group in order that they must agree to depart the send in an unsafe scenario. The insurance coverage of the similar vessel, lined by means of the American Club, has been cancelled months in the past and everyone seems to be uncovered in case of any incident and coincidence.
The supply mentioned: “Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has approached various maritime security agencies and navies present in the area to inform them about the plight of Pakistani nationals. However, so far there has been no practical progress and in total 86 Pakistani nationals onboard the four ships are living in unsafe conditions and under high risk. They need international help for their safe repatriation.”
The disaster for the Pakistani group individuals began round early January after the landlord seized investment from the send control corporate.
Two of the vessels (*86*) and Sol are right now arrested in India since June 6, 2022, by means of distributors because of lengthy past due remarkable bills of householders. (*86*) is arrested in Mumbai and Sol may be arrested in Hazira. Both vessels have Pakistani group having nearly four months of unpaid wages.
The criminal supply shared that the vessel conversation gadget has been disconnected for just about a month because of unpaid invoices by means of the landlord. The supply mentioned: “Basically the owner has abandoned both vessels and is not fulfilling any obligations as the rightful vessel owner.
Lenders Entrust wants to repossess these vessels for processing Judicial Sale but the owner is not cooperating with the lenders and in this dispute between the ships’ owner and lenders innocent crew are suffering,
The Lua vessel is in Shipyard Las Calderas, Santo Domingo, for the last five months and was in Damen Shipyard in Curacao before where she stayed for four months but due to unavailability of funds from the owner, she was asked to leave Curacao Shipyard without carrying out any docking/repair job, shared the source.
A fifth vessel Victor 1 is arrested by the crew due to unpaid wages and also by the vendor for unpaid long outstanding invoices by the owner Saint James. The total crew on this ship are 17 including 13 Indonesian and four Pakistanis.
Replying to questions sent to Saint James Shipping CEO Sam Tari Verdi, a spokesman said that “excellent quality provisions” had been supplied to they all “even in very difficult locations”.
There isn’t any Pakistani group in any battle zone and for those who’re in India, now we have requested for his or her speedy repatriation from the brokers. If you might be in touch with the group at once please ask them to ship us their ultimate wage quantity and we can in an instant prepare the bills and repatriate them.
The spokesman mentioned: “We are the victims of deliberate third-party arrests and we have prioritised the well-being of our crew above everything in this difficult situation.”