Ship Wreck Causing Additional Legal Woes
Sri Lanka is considering legal action against a local shipping firm if it does not remove the wreck of a Turkish ship that broke up while being towed ashore. Dhanapala Weerasekera, chairman of Marine Pollution Prevention Authority (MPPA), said that Sri Lankan Shipping Company Ltd. had towed the abandoned Meliksah without any salvage contract from the owners or permission from local authorities. "As the unauthorized action... amounts to criminal negligence involving both civil and criminal liability, I will be seeking the approval of the ministry... to initiate action," he said. The Turkish vessel, which was carrying some 16,000 tons of fertilizer, was abandoned off Sri Lanka's southern coast last month after its engine room developed a leak and water began seeping in.
Sri Lanka Shipping Refuses To Remove Wreck
Sri Lanka Shipping Company Ltd. has reportedly said that it will not remove the wreck of a Turkish ship and its cargo of fertilizer, which authorities say may pollute the ocean. Company chairman Lester Weinman stated that the company does not hold itself responsible for the removal of the ship, which broke in two while being towed ashore. "We acted in good faith and in the pursuance of our normal business," he said. The Marine Pollution Prevention Authority (MPPA) has said it is considering legal action against the firm if it did not remove the wreck of the abandoned Meliksah, which the company attempted to tow without any salvage contract from the owners or permission from local authorities.
