Working Conditions Aboard the Lady-Divina

The maritime dispute surrounding the M/V Kinatsi reached a critical point recently as the vessel was arrested in New Orleans. This legal action originates from a case filed earlier this month in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division. The disagreement centers on Monjassa's sale of 150 metric tonnes (mt) of Intermediate Fuel Oil (IFO) and 50 mt of Marine Gas Oil (MGO) to Liberia-based charterer Tami Project Inc. in October 2015. The sale prices were set at $33,751.35 for the IFO and $55,751.79 for the MGO, with an agreement for payment to be completed within 45 days. However, Tami did not fulfill its payment obligations and instead raised concerns regarding the quality of the IFO supplied. On January 20, Monjassa took proactive measures by agreeing to replace the contested IFO on a strictly without prejudice basis, crediting the initial IFO shipment, and issuing a new invoice to Tami for $33,210. Despite this, Monjassa reported that Tami has only made a partial payment, leaving an outstanding balance of $23,357. With accrued interest, the total amount pursued in court has escalated to $27,235.29. Subsequently, an arrest warrant for the M/V Kinatsi was issued on April 22, 2016. Monjassa has backed its claims with documentation affirming its terms and conditions, which reserve the right to employ various legal avenues to resolve outstanding debts, including the imposition of a maritime lien on the vessel in question until full payment is received.