Kuala Lumpur: MISC is to seek $500,000 in damages from Equatorial Marine Fuel Management Services after a US Court ruled the bunker supplier had no right to arrest one its vessels. The US court of appeal upheld a District Court ruling that Singapore-based Equatorial Marine had no basis for an admiralty action against MISC as the Malaysian company had not entered into a bunker supply contract with it.
In April 2008 Equatorial Marine arrested the MISC vessel Bunga Kasturi Lima in Long Beach claiming it had not received payment for $22m in bunker deliveries.
"This much awaited decision is warmly welcomed, as no physical supplier can now arrest vessels without presence of proper legally binding contract supported by sufficient evidentiary documents, causing grave commercial strain on ship owners," MISC said.
MISC is seeking $500,000 in damages caused as a result of the arrest of the vessel.[20/01/10]
Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. Seatrade, a trading name of Informa Markets (UK) Limited. Add Seatrade Maritime News to your Google News feed.