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[Capbreton 1 - resolved]

IMO8303977


Abandonment ID: 00018
Ship name:[Capbreton 1 - resolved]
Flag:St. Vincent & Grenadines
7-digit IMO no.:8303977
Port of abandonment:Lagos (Nigeria)
Abandonment date:20 2004
Notification date:20 2004
Reporting Member Govt. or Org.:ITF
No. of Seafarers:10
Nationalities:Benin; Burkina Faso; Côte d'Ivoire; Togo
Circumstances:ICFTU/ITF: Arrested by Nigerian navy.
Update 06/05: Vessel arrested 17/07/03. Irregular documentation and illegal bunkering. Under navy control until 20/02/04, then transferred to police cell, then prison in Lagos; Lack proper food, water, clothing and medical attention.
Actions taken:2004: Other
ITF maintained contact with crew's lawyer and contacted embassies of countries of origin to request their intervention.

2005: Other
ISF: Contacted ITF.

2005: Other
Update ICFTU/ITF: ITF contributed towards provision of welfare for crew in prison and an advance for crew members' families. Requested help from International Red Cross and Avocats sans Frontiéres.
Repatriation status:2004: Repatriation pending
ICFTU/ITF: Payment pending, claim for wages outstanding.

2005: Other
ISF: Crew in jail, vessel arrested.
Payment status:2004: Payment Pending
Claim for wages outstanding.
Update 06/05: Recruited 02/02; from 05/03 shipowner stopped paying regular wages; 14 months' backdated wages paid, but in blocked bank account;4 months' wages still outstanding.
Comments and Observations:ITF (2004)
A case that has been reported in the shipping press. Ship arrested by the Nigerian navy in July 2003. The crew was reportedly promised that the arrest would soon be lifted and agreed to stay on board to maintain the vessel. By September provisions were starting to run out. The crew engaged a lawyer to assist with their claim for unpaid wages. They reportedly refused to discharge the cargo of oil when required by the owner and were subsequently arrested and jailed, allegedly for vandalising pipelines. It is alleged that the cargo of oil comes from a vandalised pipeline, a charge that they refute. Their trial has been adjourned several times and there is no obvious date for release. The seafarers got in touch with the ITF in January 2004.

ITF (2005)
UPDATE
Received information that 14 months wages being held by the Embassy of Togo in Lagos to be paid out when the crew is released.

ITF (2005)
UPDATE: Crew liaised with embassies, lawyer and media in an attempt to retrieve outstanding wages;Crew state that oil on board was delivered by supply ships owned by the same owners as the Capbreton 1.

ITF (30 2005)
Case finally withdrawn and seafarers released. Outstanding wages have been retrieved from the Togo Embassy and seafarers are returning home.

ILO/IMO (2006)
Joint letter co-signed by ILO Director general and IMO Secretary General to the Flag State administration, urging them to facilitate the resolution of this case.

ITF (28 2006)
Case closed.

International Maritime Organisation (6 2006)
The IMO has received a letter from the flag State register. This text is not in a format that can be displayed here. It can be consulted on request.

 
Entered: Wednesday - 29 March 2006 at 08:33:49
Last updated: Friday - 7 April 2006 at 08:48:44
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