Cash buyer of ships for recycling GMS refuted the allegations made by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform regarding the purchase of Seatrade’s four reefer vessels that ended up beached in India, Bangladesh and Turkey.
As World Maritime News reported, Seatrade has been faced with criminal charges in the Netherlands for selling the end-of-life vessels to a cash buyer instead of recycling the ships in a responsible manner.
The said vessels are believed to have been sold to a cash buyer in 2012 before they were dumped on the beaches of Alang, Turkey and Bangladesh filled with toxic waste in violation of the European Waste Shipment Regulations.
According to NGO Shipbreaking Platform, the cash buyer who bought the 1984-built Spring Panda, Spring Bob, Spring Bear and Spring Deli was GMS.
“GMS categorically denies being the buyer of, or associated in any way with the purchase of the four Seatrade vessels mentioned in the NGO’s latest press release. GMS condemns the circulation of such false and inaccurate information,” the company said in a release.
NGO Shipbreaking Platform retracted the report saying that another cash buyer was behind the purchase, as GMS vehemently opposed the allegations.
GMS added that it has developed a Responsible Ship Recycling Program (RSRP) through which, it has supervised the recycling of more than 30 vessels a year and has also motivated the interest of recycling yards in both India and Bangladesh to upgrade their standards of recycling in line with the Hong Kong International Convention.
The case against Seatrade is being heard in a Rotterdam Court this week.
To remind, Seatrade is facing fines of up to EUR 2.35 million (around USD 2.9 million) for breaking up ships in yards with poor working conditions and substandard environmental practices.
In addition, the Dutch Public Prosecutor calls for confiscation of the profits Seatrade made on the sale of the four reefers and a six-month prison sentence for three of Seatrade’s top executives.
World Maritime News Staff