Nigeria to release oil tanker sailing under Swiss flag
The agreement was reached following “considerable diplomatic efforts” by various ministries in Bern
ABC maritime / Albin Pinard
Nigeria will release a Swiss-flagged ship that has been detained for more than three years. An agreement to this effect was signed by the Nigerian justice minister and the Swiss ambassador to Nigeria, according to the Swiss foreign ministry.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/ts
A corresponding memorandum of understanding on the immediate release of the San Padre Pio ship was signed on Thursday, the ministry said in a statementExternal link.
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 on Friday that 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.
More
More
Switzerland to sue Nigeria over seized oil tanker
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.
“It is now incumbent on Nigeria to release the vessel and on the companies involved in operating the San Padre Pio to take the necessary operational measures for the actual departure of the vessel,” the ministry said.
Once the vessel has been able to leave Nigeria’s exclusive economic zone, the legal proceeding pending before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in Hamburg can be terminated, it added.
The agreement was reached following “considerable diplomatic efforts” by the foreign ministry in cooperation with the economics ministry and the finance ministry.
[This article has been updated to include the comments from ABC Maritime, which point out that the company was wrongly accused and later found not guilty of the charges and acquitted.]
This content was published on
Nemo brought the Eurovision Song Contest to Switzerland with a victory on Saturday evening in Malmö, Sweden. It is Switzerland's third victory in the history of the music contest.
Switzerland abstains from vote on Palestinian bid for full UN membership
This content was published on
On Friday, Switzerland abstained from the vote at the General Assembly on granting the Palestinians new rights at the United Nations (UN).
Protein in abdominal fat could help shape obesity treatment
This content was published on
The study analysed fat cells from different locations in the body, and found that those in the abdomen have unique properties.
North African asylum claims fall after rapid Swiss processing
This content was published on
The accelerated procedure, now out of its test phase, has resulted in a significant drop in applications from North African countries.
This content was published on
The artist's song "The Code" focuses on their journey as a nonbinary individual. It is one of the favourites to win this year's contest.
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.
Read more
More
Swiss merchant navy finds itself in deep water
This content was published on
Bern prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into suspected irregularities surrounding the funding of Switzerland’s merchant navy.
This content was published on
The Swiss merchant fleet, whose home port is Basel but whose ships never sail within sight of Swiss soil, was founded in 1941 when, as the war escalated, finding new avenues to bring essential economic supplies into Switzerland was paramount. Today the fleet, which contributes just a fraction to Switzerland’s gross domestic product compared with…
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.