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The
86th session of the IMO Maritime Safety
Committee (MSC) kicked off its heavy agenda this
morning with an introduction by IMO Secretary
General Efthimios Mitropoulos, which was swiftly
followed by an intervention by India on the
Hebei Spirit and the continued detainment of the
two officers.
Captain Jasprit Chawla and Chief Officer Syam
Chetan, who were both found innocent of all
charges at first instance but subsequently found
guilty by the Daejeon District Court of
breaching marine pollution laws and negligence,
have recently been acquitted by the Supreme
Court of those charges giving rise to prison
sentences.
The case has been remitted to the Daejeon
District Court for re-examination and it is
understood that the final hearing was held
yesterday, with the anticipated judgment
releasing the two detained officers to be handed
down on 11 June.
India's appeal, which welcomed the recent
Supreme Court decision to overturn the prison
sentences and called upon the Government of
Korea to right wrongs done, was supported by
several delegations and international
organisations.
Several international organisations, including
BIMCO, have been working hard to maintain focus
on this matter and continuous pressure on the
Korean authorities to seek the release of the
two officers. It is hoped that this is the last
leg of an arduous journey, and that the two
officers will be formally released and allowed
to return home to their families.
MSC 86 is due to finish on Friday 5 June and
there are several items on the agenda, including
piracy and armed robbery against ships. A
comprehensive summary of the issues discussed
will follow, as usual.
Source: Bimco
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