Saudi owner gets approval to pay off pirates
The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) has given preliminary approval for the owner of the hijacked 5,136 dwt bunker tanker Al Nisr Al Saudi to pay a ransom in the region of US$2m, according to Saudi daily paper Arab News.
The manager of International Bunkering Company, Kamal Arri, told Arab News: “We are now waiting for the Interior Ministrys approval.
The 1993-built, single-hull ship was sailing in ballast to start supplying bunkers in Jeddah when it was hijacked in early March. The master is Greek while the other 13 crew members are Sri Lankan.
Mr Arri said his company had lost the equivalent of US$8m a result of the hijack and IMO had asked him to explain the prolonged difficulties being faced by the ships crew in the light of complaints lodged by Sri Lankan and Greek authorities. He said that he had contacted the IMO and informed them that efforts are being made to pay the ransom to win the release of the ship and crew.
According to Arab News, Mr Arri said the pirates were torturing the crew and forcing them to sleep on deck.
Local reports are that the ransom would be $2m although the owner had incorrectly said last week that the sum $20m which had actually been the pirates opening gambit. There are however reports that the pirates are demanding $3m.
Source: Arab News