The Liberian Registry has concluded its investigation into the pirate-hijacking of the product tanker Kerala off Luanda, Angola, on 18 January 2014. The Liberian investigation is based on evidence gathered by an INTERPOL-led multinational Incident Response Team as well as findings of its own investigative efforts. The Liberian Administration is currently in the process of … [Read more...]
MT Kerala Returned to Angolan Authorities After Hijacking
LUANDA, Feb 25 (Reuters) - An oil tanker hijacked for a week off Angola in January has been returned to the country's authorities, a board member at state oil firm Sonangol said on Tuesday, adding that the hijackers had stolen diesel worth $8 million from the ship. The Liberian-flagged MT Kerala was under a time charter contract for Sonangol when it vanished off the coast of … [Read more...]
INTERPOL Investigation Points to Piracy in MT KERALA Disappearance
An ongoing investigation into the January 18 disappearance of a Liberian-flagged product tanker offshore Angola has determined that the vessel was in fact hijacked by pirates, confirming suspicions held by almost everyone but the Angolan Navy. As gCaptain reported previously, the MT KERALA mysteriously disappeared off Luanda, Angola on January 18, 2014 while carrying 60,000 … [Read more...]
Faked Hijacking Allegations “Ridiculous and Laughable” Says Dynacom
In a phone call with Dynacom Tankers Management today, they note that the allegations by the Angolan Navy that the MT Kerala hijacking was faked are "ridiculous, unfounded, and laughable." They note that the exact amount of stolen cargo has yet to be determined, however it looks like about 12,500 to 13,000 tons of cargo is missing. Sources indicate this cargo could be worth … [Read more...]
Angola Navy: There is No Risk of Pirate Attack Off Angola
Jan. 27 (Bloomberg) -- The reported hijacking of Greek oil tanker Kerala off the Angolan coast earlier this month was fabricated by the crew and the vessel’s owner, according to the Angolan Navy. “The oil tanker’s crew worked in collusion with the ship’s owner,” navy spokesman Captain Augusto Alfredo Lourenco said by phone today from the capital, Luanda. “There wasn’t any … [Read more...]