Massive fine for Greek ship that docked in Famagusta

A GREEK cargo ship that docked at Famagusta port last week in violation of Greece’s maritime regulations was yesterday fined 5.2 million euros for various safety violations.

Aegean Sun, a Greek-registered, crewed and owned vessel, which was chartered by a British company, was offloading a shipment of used cars at Famagusta.

When reports appeared on Friday in the Turkish Cypriot press detailing how the captain raised the ‘TRNC’ flag allowing it to dock, the ship was ordered back to Greece by the country’s Shipping Minister.

The captain, Stathis Stylianou, was arrested and the ship’s owner Costas Agapitos was also brought in for questioning.

Yesterday, the Greek Shipping Ministry announced that the fine of 5.2 million euros had been imposed after the ship was examined by maritime inspectors and was found wanting in several departments. It also infringed the provisions of MARPOL, the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, a statement issued in Greece said. Greek-flagged ships, like their Cypriot counterparts are not allowed to dock in Famagusta. The violation carries up to two years in prison.

“Consequently and also for reasons of defence and national interest in general, the order has been given to investigate the issue in case it is needed to take additional discipline or measures against the skipper or the company,” the statement added.

In the meantime, Stylianou, who claimed he was unaware of the ship’s true destination, believing he was headed for Alexandretta and says he was forced by the British company to go to Famagusta, has had his licence revoked.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.