The cargo ship that ran aground to the east of Male and was subsequently fined MVR61.6 million for reef damage has been permitted to leave after a bank guarantee was given.
Transport Authority had prohibited the container ship Auguste Schulte from leaving the Maldives until the probe of the incident was completed.
The Authority’s Chairman Abdul Rasheed Nafiz told Haveeru on Monday that the ship’s agent, Silver Company wished to carry out an assessment of the reef damage on its own before paying the fine.
Nafiz added that the ship had been permitted to leave after the agent gave a bank guarantee to the government.
“Their team and a team from the Environment Protection Agency [EPA] are currently making an assessment as the ship’s owner wants to confirm the reef damage. But as keeping the ship here would cause major losses to the company, we have given the green light for the ship to leave after the bank guarantee was given,” Nafiz explained.
He added that the one year bank guarantee would be used once the ship’s agent completes its assessment of the damage caused to the reef.
The container ship Auguste Schulte ran aground near Male just past sunset on January 7 after it arrived from Sri Lanka loaded with cargo. Onlookers said that the ship ran aground as it tried to turn back after setting course to enter the Male harbor.
Maldives Ports Limited had insisted that the ship had attempted to enter the harbor before the pilot vessel had reached the area.
A heavy fine is imposed if a vessel runs aground due to negligence. In that regard, based on the damage to the reef, the guilty party could face upwards of MVR80,000 per cubic meter of damaged reef.
Transport Authority had stressed that the ship’s agent must take full responsibility for the incident.