According to the Libya Herald, the release of Ukrainian sailors held in Benghazi over a diverted cargo of vehicles on board another Ukrainian vessel, is reportedly imminent, following a Ukrainian court ruling that the vehicles be returned to their Libyan consignees.
The car transporter, the Etel and its 19-man crew, have been held at the Benghazi port since July 21 after discharging 220 vehicles. The move was prompted by local businessmen, who claimed that this March a sister ship, the Faina, had diverted
The release of Ukrainian sailors held in Benghazi over a diverted cargo of vehicles on board another Ukrainian vessel, is reportedly imminent, following a Ukrainian court ruling that the vehicles be returned to their Libyan consignees.
The car transporter, the Etel and its 19-man crew have been held since 21 July at Benghazi port after discharging 220 vehicles. The move was prompted by local businessmen who claimed that in March a sister ship, the Faina, had diverted to the Ukraine, with a shipment of 597 cars worth LD12 million that were destined for Libya. The Libyan investors, who had paid for the vehicles and their shipment were demanding the goods or their money back.
A court in the Ukraine has reportedly now ordered that the vehicles, which were impounded after they were unloaded in Odessa, be shipped to Libya.
The Libya Herald's sources have indicated that the lives and health of the Etel’s crew were not in danger. It is also said that there is considerable anger in Kiev at what was described as inaccurate and speculative reporting of the whole Etel incident.
(Source: The Libya Herald)
