• Say, Security Agents Holding Wrong Sailors!
About three weeks after the 15 Russian sailors aboard the controversial ship; Myre Seadiver were granted bail on the orders of Federal High Court under Justice Okechukwu Okeke , fresh facts emerged last week about the berthing of the ship in Lagos.
• Say, Security Agents Holding Wrong Sailors!
About three weeks after the 15 Russian sailors aboard the controversial ship; Myre Seadiver were granted bail on the orders of Federal High Court under Justice Okechukwu Okeke , fresh facts emerged last week about the berthing of the ship in Lagos.
Documents obtained by our correspondent have indicated that the Russian security ship may have been duly cleared to sail into Lagos harbours on October 20, 2012 or the shop owners were deceived into believing that they had a genuine clearance to sail into Lagos.
Shipping Position Daily confirmed that the ill-fated ship; Myre Seadiver is registered in the Cook Islands, and that she actually has a registration certificate which provides for “carriage of arms and ammunition for maritime security purposes”.
The 15 sailors are currently standing trial before Justice Okechukwu Okeke on a four-count charge, bordering on unlawful importation and possession of firearms as well as non-declaration of the content of the vessel.
The accused are: Zhelyazkov Andrey, Savchenko Sergel, Chichkanov Vasily, Varlygin Igor, Komilov Alexander, Lopatin Alexey and Baranovskly Nikolay.
Others are Mishin Pavel, Llia Shubov, Dimitry Bannyrh, Alexander Tsarikov, Kononov Sergel, Korotchenko Andrey, Vorobev Mikhail and Stepan Oleksiuk. The ship is also in the custody of the Navy.
They however, pleaded not guilty to the charges leveled against them.
The Police Prosecutor, Mr Ernest Ezebilo had told the court that the accused and their vessel were arrested by naval officers on Oct. 18, 2012 within Nigerian territorial waters in Lagos State.
Ezebilo alleged that the accused and their vessel had entered Nigerian territorial waters without due licence and clearance from the Nigeria Customs Service.
He said the accused also refused to declare the content of the vessel, contrary to the provisions of the Customs and Excise Management Act, 2002.
Ezebilo said that when the vessel was arrested and opened by naval officers, a cache of firearms and ammunitions were concealed in it.
He said that the offences contravened the provisions of the Firearms Act, Cap. F28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, as well as the provisions of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap. M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
But, documents being circulated in the diplomatic circle indicate a different scenario that led to the arrival of the ship in Lagos.
According to the log of the Myre Seadiver master, Andrei Zhelayzkov, on September 18 the vessel was at sea outside Nigeria’s exclusive economic zone, its engine off, while it waited for the agent to relay the authorizations which had been filed to the port. On September 19 the captain’s log says: “permission is granted, proceeding to the road of Lagos in accordance with instructions received from the agent.”
The Nigerian shipping agent responsible for the port authorizations has been identified as Blueseas Maritime Services Nigeria Ltd, its managing director is Chris Nkwonta
Records of Moran Security in Moscow show that it had engaged Blueseas in August to prepare for the Myre Seadiver’s scheduled arrival at Lagos port on September 19. The day before arrival, Blueseas allegedly received $10,155 from Moran Security. Over the next three weeks Blueseas allegedly took a total of $41,568.60 in payments for its services. During its month at berth, the Myre Seadiver received bunkers, food and ship’s supplies, while repairs were made to engines, pumps, and air conditioning.
Stanley Chineye, an assistant logistics manager for Blueseas, on September 13, allegedly e-mailed Moran Security in Moscow, saying: “Attached lists/ docs are ok and we’ll approach the authorities to notify them about vsl’s call at the Lagos anchorage and ensure hitch-free operation.” Chineye’s reference to “attached lists” includes an arms and ammunition list, crew list, ports of call list, and other particulars, sent to Blueseas on September 13, five hours before Chineye confirmed receiving them.
The arms and ammunition list is identical with the inventory reported by the Nigerian Navy a month later.
On September 14, Chineye reported: “We’ve just finished our meeting with the Naval authorities iro vsl’s intended call at the Lagos anchorage and based on our long standing cordial r/ship, they’ve assured us a hitch-free operation. However, they’ve advised we notify them of vsl’s ETA to update their patrol team accordingly.” Hours before the vessel arrived at its planned port anchorage on September 19, Moran Security asked Chineye for “your [reply] about authorities permission for the vessel with arms & ammunition on board. I need your [reply] in order to avoid any possible complications with the authorities.” Chineye’s email reply came 19 minutes later, saying “the Naval authorities are duly informed of Seadiver’s arrival tomorrow. There’ll be no issues.”
E-mail correspondence from Blueseas to Moran Security in Moscow shows alleged payments for security services for the Myre Seadiver in Lagos included “Navy Admin fee + 4 armed guards daily allowance = USD7,000( All cost inclusive ).”
A London shipping and freight executive with long experience of West African operations says: “The port charges are the normal posted prices but the ‘security’ is a bit high in that the Navy and others are demanding an administrative fee above the daily costs of guards. These are high but at the top end of the normal range.”
However, our findings revealed that documents and e-mails that were signed to Moran Security regarding the Myre Seadiver were contradicted by court testimony, when trial of the 15 began.
But, our correspondent also found out that the shipping agent for the vessel claimed that it had applied for and received the required authorizations. “There’ll be no issues”, he had reportedly written to the vessel owner, Moran Security Group in Moscow on September 19.
A curious dimension to the whole drama is the revelation last week that the 15 sailors who are currently standing trial are not the real sailors who came into the country with the ship a month earlier.
“That crew had disembarked on September 20, and been replaced by a new crew”, a source disclosed last week.
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