A Turkish-registered general cargo ship has been accused of fleeing arrest in Malta over an unpaid bunkering bill.
Several local Maltese news sites reported that 1993-built Feyza Genc allegedly left Malta at night after being detained by the coastguard over a EUR45,000 (USD49,715) unpaid bill due to Cassar Fuel Ltd Malta.
But in an email sent to IHS Maritime, a spokeswoman for GNC Shipping, owner of Feyza Genc, strongly refuted the accusation, saying the claim related to 50 mt of fuel supplied on 8 June 2014. She said the bill was paid in time, but the vessel was arrested in Malta on behalf of Cassar.
“Despite all our efforts to prove our innocence, Cassar Fuel Ltd refused to listen to us and forced the owners to pay the bill again to release the vessel.”
She described the arrest as “totally malicious and unrightful”, and the company reserved its rights to take necessary legal steps.
This post was sourced from IHS Maritime 360: View the original article here.
