Indonesia: Naval officers allegedly asked for USD 375,000 to release oil tanker “Nord Joy”
- Published
by Admin
Indonesian naval officers have allegedly asked for USD 375,000 to release oil/chemical tanker Nord Joy that was detained last week after being accused of anchoring illegally in Indonesian waters off Singapore, reported Reuters.
The vessel was boarded by armed navy personnel on May 30 while anchored in Indonesian waters to the east of the Singapore Strait, according to two people involved in negotiations over the unofficial payment.
The tanker was then purportedly escorted by navy ships to an anchorage near Batam, an island 20 miles (32 km) south of Singapore.
The master of the tanker, who was taken onto the base, was allegedly told by naval officers to arrange payment of USD 375,000 or potentially face months of lost income if the case went through the courts.
The Nord Joy is a Panama-flagged vessel, 183 metres (200 yards) long and can carry up to 350,000 barrels of fuel. There was no information on the vessel owner at the time of publication.
Indonesian navy spokesman Julius Widjojono said it had conducted an investigation into the allegation and hadn’t found “any indication” of such a request of payment to release the vessel.
Widjojono said collecting unofficial payments to release vessels was: “strictly prohibited”.
He confirmed navy personnel had detained the tanker on suspicion of anchoring in Indonesian waters without a permit, violating Indonesian sea passage rights and sailing without a national flag.
“The initial information is that (the case) is still in the initial investigation process at Batam naval base,” he said.
Synergy Group, the company based in Singapore that manages Nord Joy, did not respond to questions about the alleged request by navy staff for an unofficial payment.
The firm told Reuters in a statement the vessel anchored in a position thought to be clear of Indonesian territorial waters on 26 May, and on 30 May the Indonesian navy boarded the vessel alleging it was within its territory.
Synergy said it was working with the navy, lawyers and local agents to resolve the matter.
Photo credit: MarineTraffic / Alex Van Herrewege
Published: 10 June, 2022
