Call for probe into fleeing of Iranian ship

SATURDAY, 26 JANUARY 2013 

Germany's DVB Bank said that it has asked for an investigation in Sri Lanka about the fleeing of detained Iranian ship in the Sri Lankan waters despite the court order, reuters reported.

Last week the Amina, another of the four, fled Sri Lankan waters after weeks of detention by its navy, acting on a court order obtained by DVB Bank. Sri Lanka's navy had fired warning shots earlier to prevent the vessel from leaving.

"We have already locally, as well as in writing, articulated our concerns to Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL)," Iris Schrecker, senior vice president with DVB Bank's group compliance office said, adding that the bank had not received any direct response to its enquiry about the Amina.

"We have asked for an investigation in Sri Lanka as to how she was able to flee. Our primary objective is either to obtain repayment or to get the vessel," Schrecker added.

Ship tracking data on Friday indicated the vessel was positioned close to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas after it had been located for several days off the coast of India.

Meanwhile, the bank also said it is holding an Iranian-owned dry bulk ship in China over debt payment claims, a senior bank official said on Friday, in a sign of growing pressure faced by Iran's fleet on top of Western sanctions.

The Uppercourt was arrested in the northern Chinese cargo port of Qinhuangdao in late November, said Iris Schrecker, senior vice president with DVB Bank's group compliance office.

The Uppercourt is one of four Iranian bulk ships DVB has been trying to seize.

Public shipping databases showed the vessel was managed by Tehran-based Rahbaran Omid Darya Ship Management, which the European Union and United States have said is a front for Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), Iran's biggest cargo carrier and subject to Western and U.N. sanctions.

"That (the vessel) is going through the normal commercial process of permitting IRISL to give their comments to the arrest ... and potentially then either making restitution or being auctioned off," Schrecker told Reuters.

"We still are in discussions with IRISL to find an amicable solution nonetheless for the bank."

Officials in Iran and China could not immediately be reached for comment.

An arrest occurs when a ship is detained by a court order to secure a maritime claim. The arrest may ultimately result in a judicial sale of the ship to pay the claim.