BAM DESPINA

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Bulkcarrier fled to high seas to avoid inspection

The "Mykonos Bay", loaded with 10,000 tonnes of Morocco fertiliser bound to Mombasa has fled to the high seas to avoid the cargo being tested before it was offloaded. This came in the wake of a scandal in which fertiliser described by the authorities as contaminated or substandard was allowed into the country and released to farmers. On June 27, 2018, the Director of Criminal Investigations, Mr George Kinoti, said he would pursue the vessel using Interpol to make sure it does not offload the cargo anywhere. The cargo belongs to Office Cherifien des Phosphates (OCP), one of the world’s largest phosphate exporters. Recently, the firm was accused by the government of importing fertiliser contaminated with mercury. The company denied the claim, saying it was being targeted unfairly. Clearing firm Bollore Transport and Logistics erroneously informed customs that the ship was carrying clinker and asked for direct release, an arrangement where cargo bypasses the usual checks and inspection by customs officials and is fast-tracked into waiting trucks for transport to the rest of the country.