Nigeria releases oil tanker sailing under Swiss flag
The San Padre Pio had been held by Nigeria for nearly four years
ABC maritime / Albin Pinard
The Swiss-flagged San Padre Pio, which had been detained by Nigeria for nearly four years, has left the country, the Swiss foreign ministry confirmed on Saturday.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ts
The vessel is no longer in Nigeria’s exclusive economic zone and is currently en route to Togo, the foreign ministry said in a statementExternal link on Saturday.
“Based on an agreement signed between Switzerland and Nigeria last May stipulating the release of the vessel, the departure of the San Padre Pio is a success story for Swiss diplomacy, which was closely involved in resolving the dispute between the two countries,” it said.
The oil tanker, managed by canton Vaud shipping company ABC Maritime, was seized in January 2018 by Nigerian authorities, which accused the ship and its crew of violating territorial waters and diesel smuggling.
ABC Maritime told SWI swissinfo.ch in May it had successfully defended itself against these accusations in the Nigerian High Court of Port Harcourt. ABC Maritime said the court ruling stated that the defendants were found not guilty as charged and were therefore discharged and acquitted.
Legal proceeding discontinued
A memorandum of understanding providing for the vessel’s immediate release was signed on May 20. The agreement stipulated Nigeria’s responsibility to release the San Padre Pio and for the companies involved in the vessel’s operations to take the necessary measures (such as various repairs) to allow it to actually depart.
The departure finally took place on December 8.
As the vessel has now been able to leave Nigeria’s exclusive economic zone, the legal proceeding pending before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg can be discontinued as provided for in the memorandum of understanding.
This content was published on
Viola Amherd has expressed her “deep shock” at the assassination attempt on Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico on Wednesday.
This content was published on
A man injured half a dozen people with knives, two of them seriously, before being arrested on Wednesday in northern Switzerland.
Switzerland to introduce flight passenger database
This content was published on
Switzerland plans to introduce a flight passenger database to collect and process personal data in a bid to combat terrorism and serious crime.
Government plans to invest over CHF16bn in Swiss rail network
This content was published on
The federal government intends to invest CHF16.4 billion ($18.1 billion) in railway infrastructure between 2025 and 2028, CHF2 billion more than for the current period.
Swiss to vote on pension reform and biodiversity in September
This content was published on
Swiss citizens will vote on occupational pension schemes and a biodiversity initiative on September 22, the Federal Council announced on Wednesday.
Ukraine peace talks: 50 countries have confirmed participation
This content was published on
To date, 50 countries out 160 invited delegations have confirmed they will attend the Ukraine peace conference, held in central Switzerland in mid-June, according to Swiss public radio, RTS.
This content was published on
Authorities in Bern are considering legal proceedings after failed diplomatic efforts to secure the release of a Swiss-flag-carrying oil tanker.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.