| Abandonment ID: | 00606 |
| Ship name: | Ocean Trader |
| Flag: | Comoros |
| 7-digit IMO no.: | 9056739 |
| Port of abandonment: | Jebel Ali, UAE |
| Abandonment date: | July 2021 |
| Notification date: | 7 January 2022 |
| Reporting Member Govt. or Org.: | ITF |
| No. of Seafarers: | 14 |
| Nationalities: | India(14) |
| Circumstances: | P&I Insurer: Arsenal Insurance Company LLC, Moscow
Container Ship
On 7th July 2021 a container that was being loaded caught fire and exploded. An investigation was undertaken.
13 crew were repatriated on 28th November 2021 but the master has been held by the police as part of the investigation. He was held in a hotel for 4 months but is now in a single room that he shares with 4 other unrelated persons. The 13 crew are owed 7 months wages and the captain is owed 9 months wages. |
|
| Actions taken: | 5 January 2022: Flag State informed
Other
Contacted the owner, flag state and UAE maritime authorities.
|
|
| Repatriation status: | Repatriation pending
13 crew repatriated. Captain wants to be repatriated.
|
|
| Payment status: | Payment Pending
US$93,761.
|
|
| Comments and Observations: | ITF (10 February 2022)
No movement from the UAE authorities on why the Master continues to be held in Dubai and no response from the owners of the vessel. The ITF have moved the master from the one room he was sharing with 6 people into a self-contained apartment and are now supporting him financially to remove his dependence on INZU Ship Charter LLC.
INZU Ship Charter LLC are also the manager of the PROJECT TRADER, also abandoned in the Dubai.
Non-governmental Organization (20 April 2022)
From ISWAN
Based on email from seafarer date 23rd March 2022, seafarer has been informed by Marine Police from Rashid Port Dubai, that their investigation has been completed and this case has been transferred to Dubai public prosecution. Seafarer has requested to facilitate him a Marine Lawyer as he is unable to pay lawyer's fee on his own.
ITF (22 July 2022)
The master remains detained in Dubai pending the outcome of the court case. The ITF have instructed local lawyers and counsel to represent the Master.
The Master has now taken out a civil action against INZU Ship Charter LLC for the continued non-payment of wages.
The Master has now been held for over one year pending the accident investigation and court ruling, and this with his prior sea-time on the vessel he has now not been home for 2 years.
This is a plain case of seafarer criminalisation and despite a number of requests to the UAE authorities to resolve this case quickly on humanitarian grounds, the Master remains in Dubai away from his wife and two young daughters.
Non-governmental Organization (18 October 2022)
From ISWAN
There was a court hearing on 10th October. A follow up message was sent to seafarer on 11th October requesting to share outcome of the hearing, we are yet to hear back from him.
|
