TEAM HERALD
VASCO: Otto Lasardo from Mapusa, who was stuck on the MV Agatis vessel off Three Anchor Bay in Cape Town for the last four months reached home on Sunday. He was on board the bulk carrier MV Agatis with 17 other crew when the vessel, which was en route from Myanmar to Ivory Coast, carrying a cargo consisting of bulk-packed rice, was held in Cape Town.
The Indonesia-based Meranti Bahari PT company, which owns the vessel, had experienced financial issues and was not able to make payments to service providers. The Singapore-based Aquarius Maritime PTE Limited shipping agent and a UAE service provider had demanded that the ship be held. The seafarers aboard the vessel had signed on in November of last year.
Since that time the crew members onboard the vessel were forced to go without water to even wash their clothes and their drinking water was determined to be unhygienic. The garbage aboard the vessel was left uncollected.
“We took the matter to NRI Director UD Kamat who then wrote to the Indian High Commission in Cape Town and provided assistance. The matter was also taken to the court by the ITF lawyer and finally the owner was told to pay the dues or face the ship’s auction. The matter was finally solved and the crew released,” said the president of Goan Seamen Association Dixon Vaz .
Members of Goan Seamen Association, along with Lasrado’s family members, welcomed the seaman on his arrival at Dabolim airport. “This is only one story which was highlighted due to the unity of the crew and many worse incidents go unnoticed,” Vaz said.
