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Sold to Breakers 20.07.24

The Seafarers Union of Kenya (SUK) has asked the government to help return home four Kenyan seafarers stranded in Oman after their employer abandoned them aboard the 'Saharla'. Salim Mwamba, Idd Abdurahman, Omar Mwalimu, and a cook identified as Tella Hamisi were unable to return home because they have no money. The four were on board the ship, which has been seized in Duqm in the sultanate of Oman after it was abandoned by the owner at Asyad Dockyard in the Middle East nation. The union had received disturbing reports from the four Kenyans and two Tanzanian nationals appealing for assistance. The four are from Likoni sub-county, Mombasa county.The crew have overstayed on the ship for one year and six months and have not been paid their wages for the last seven months. The crew members have been left to fend for themselves and are living in deplorable conditions.On July 19, 2924, the SUK has written a formal appeal to engage relevant government agencies to save the Kenyans who have continued to suffer in the foreign nation without aid. The letter was copied to the Ministry of Labour, the office of Principal Secretary, the Ministry of Interior and Immigration Services, and the International Transport Federation (ITF) Mombasa inspector Betty Makena.

The Greek shipping company Golden Star Ferries on July 24, 2024,has officially announced the purchase of the 'Volcán de Taburiente' from Naviera Armas which, it was inspecting in person in La Palma last February. The Greek shipping company, in a press release issued this day, announced: "Golden Star Ferries, within the framework of reliability, responsibility and evolution, is pleased to announce the purchase, with equal funds, of F/B Volcán de Taburiente ( ...). Our new acquisition will be one of the newest and most modern ships operating in the Greek seas and will mark the beginning of a new phase of development, making Golden Star Ferries a landmark in Greece. At the same time, it will contribute to further developing the group of islands that will be activated, improving their transportation needs and serving local communities. The ship will leave for Greece in September to operate in the Aegean Sea, although first it will have to undergo a remodeling to comply with Greek regulations, and will be renamed 'Golden Star'.

The 'Alfa Nero' has been sold for $40 million with Northrop & Johnson's Richard Higgins bringing the buyer and assistance from FEMA Management (Federal Emergency Management Agency) on the side of the seller. The yacht was on the market just ten days before closing. The sale brings two years of legal wrangling and issues around unpaid crew wages to an end, following the yacht's arrest in 2022. At that time, she was put under investigation amid allegations that her owner was sanctioned and was later declared "abandoned" by the government of Antigua and Barbuda. The proceeds from the sale will be used to fulfill various obligations, including settling outstanding debts owed to creditors and the crew since the yacht’s arrival. In addition to covering these debts, a portion of the proceeds will be allocated to address the $220 million funding gap in the local government recorded for the first half of 2024.

A Croatian court has canceled the seizure of the 'Royal Romance' of Viktor Medvedchuk's collaborator due to the lack of an indictment in a criminal case from the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine. This decision threatened to lose an asset worth $200 million , which could significantly support the Ukrainian budget and army. On June 25, the District Court of Split ruled to cancel the arrest of traitor Viktor Medvedchuk's yacht. The decision stated that the reason for the arrest was the absence of an indictment in a criminal case from the Office of the Prosecutor General . In April 2022, the Split District Court seized Medvedchuk's property at the request of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine. The seizure was extended six times , but in May 2024, the selected auction house, which was supposed to sell the asset, refused to make a deal due to the work of Medvedchuk's lawyers from the international law firm Steptoe . Delays in the investigation of criminal proceedings against Medvedchuk led to the fact that the arrest of the yacht was canceled . The absence of an indictment was the key reason for this decision. Thus, ARMA cannot enforce national court decisions to sell the vessel, and Ukraine risks losing this expensive asset. The yacht is valued at $200 million. The Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) put up for sale the seized ATVs of collaborator Viktor Medvedchuk and contraband electronics, including smartphones and tablets, on the Prozorro.Sale platform. The acquisition of these assets will bring significant financial revenues to the state and contribute to the development of the economy. PGO: Medvedchuk's yacht in Croatia seized indefinitely However, the yacht remains under indefinite seizure in line with EU sanctions, the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) emphasizes under two proceedings against the former MP, in which the specified person has the status of a suspect or accused. The prosecutors from the Prosecutor General's Office, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, continued to take measures to confiscate and sell the ship. Since 2022, the court has been considering an indictment on the facts of high treason and violation of the laws and customs of war by the former MP. In another proceeding - on the facts of assistance to the activities of terrorist organizations "L/DPR" - a pretrial investigation has been completed. Through the joint efforts of the PGO, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and thanks to the evidence base collected by the SBU and the SBI, the EU institutions and authorized persons were provided with the information necessary to make a decision on imposing sanctions on the assets of the former MP, including the yacht Royal Romance. As a result, on May 27, the European Union imposed personal sanctions against the suspect and his wife. The 'Royal Romance' is currently under seizure on the basis of indefinite sanctions in the port of Trogir and cannot leave the EU territory. Joint work continues with the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and international partners to develop a mechanism for its confiscation and sale.