MT KEONAMEX VICTORY

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Latest news

NGO accused by prosecutor of being paid by Maersk

The Prosecutor’s office of Ragusa has accused the NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans of receiving money from the shipping company Maersk after a commercial agreement between the abovementioned parties to transfer migrants from the 'Maersk Etienne', now sailing as 'Keonamex Victory', to the NGO vessel 'Mare Jonio' in Sep 2020. 27 migrants were picked up by the tanker on Aug 4 in the Gulf of Gabes. The nker couldn’t disembark them for 37 days, because all coastal states in the region refused to accept them. On Sep 11 they finally were transferred onto the 'Mare Jonio' on Sep 12 and then disembarked at Pozzallo port.

Tanker sold by Maersk shortly after rescue drama

The 'Maersk Etienne', which became world famous when 27 migrants had to stay on the ship for 38 days because no one wanted to receive them, has been sold by Maersk Tankers to a Nigerian company after the end of the migrant drama in the Mediterranean on Sep 12. The 'Maersk Etienne' was taken over by the Keonamex Petroleum and has been renamed 'Keonamex Victory' with Panama as flag state.

Migrants transferred onto NGO ship

The 'Maersk Etienne' was on its way through the Mediterranean in the morning of Sep 12 2with a speed of 12.3 knots and heading for Gibraltar after the 27 refugees left the ship in the afternoon of Sep 11. The development comes after a medical team from the NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans came on board to look after the refugees who had stayed on the tanker since Aug 5. After caring for the refugees, the doctors from Mediterranea Saving Humans assessed that they required immediate treatment, after which they were transferred to the rebuilt tug 'Mare Jonio', which patrols the Mediterranean for the NGO where they were now receiving medical treatment, while the organization was trying to find a port and a country that will receive them. "We are incredibly relieved that a solution has now finally been found for the 27 migrants on the Maersk Etienne. We would like to thank the crew for acting both humanely and professionally in the difficult situation they have been put in, ”said Maria Skipper Schwenn, director of safety, environment and maritime research of Maersk. "We would like to thank the captain and crew on boardthe Mare Jonio and the organization Mediterranea Saving Humans for helping Maersk Tankers out of the deadlock they were in. We would also like to thank the authorities for their efforts. We need that we now work together in the future to find concrete solutions that ensure that merchant ships and their crews will not again be in a similar situation”. The 'Maersk Etienne' was expected to arrive in Gibraltar in the morning of Sep 15.