Bunkering operations at Italy’s Port of Trieste have been suspended due to “suspicious infiltrations in the company managing the bunker deposit,” Global Service Maritime (GSM) and GAC told World Maritime News.
Specifically, the Port System Authority of the Eastern Adriatic Sea (Port of Trieste) has launched a revocation procedure for the public concession granted to Depositi Costieri Trieste, a company which was in charge of handling and storaging petroleum products in the port.
At the end of December, the company was subjected to interdiction measures issued by the Prefecture of Trieste as well as to an application for bankruptcy submitted by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. This was in light of “attempted infiltrations on the part of organized crime,” according to the Port of Trieste.
A few months ago, an information report, pursuant to the anti-mafia law, had been requested by the port authority as part of the authorization procedure for the modification of the shareholding structure. This authorization is allowed by the norms disciplining public maritime domain concessions.
Following the recent events, the prefecture held the Local Authorities Planning Conference on January 10. On the occasion, three external commissioners were appointed in order to ensure the resumption of bunkering operations.
“First of all, we will work together with the commissioners to find an immediate solution to ensure the supply of fuel to the Port of Trieste, which will resume in the coming days, and to safeguard the employees of Depositi Costieri,” Zeno D’Agostino, President of the Port System Authority , said.
“The Port of Trieste has not been infiltrated in any way by organized crime,” D’Agostino remarked.
“The matter of Depositi Costieri was an isolated event that was immediately quarantined,” he pointed out.
The situation is expected to be back to normal in about a week, GSM said.
World Maritime News Staff