MT Haven

In 1991 the M/T Haven (formerly "Amoco Milford Haven"), an oil tanker owned by Troodos Shipping (a company ran by Lucas Haji-Ioannou and his son Stelios Haji-Ioannou) and loaded with 144,000 tonnes (1 million barrels) of crude oil, exploded, caught fire and sank off the coast of Genoa, Italy, killing six Cypriot crew and flooding the Mediterranean with up to 50,000 tonnes of crude oil. [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,687834,00.html] The ship had been carrying one million barrels of Iranian crude when it was rocked by an explosion on April 11, 1991. It sank after burning for three days.

For the next 12 years the Mediterranean coast of Italy and France was polluted, especially around Genoa and southern France.

Court Case

Background and Allegations

At the centre of the case was the allegation that Stelios Haji-Ioannou and his father Lucas Haji-Ioannou had kept their vessel, the Troodos-owned Cyprus-flagged "Haven", in such disrepair that it blew up. According to news items it is also alleged that the tanker was scrapped after being hit by an Exocet during the Iran–Iraq War and should not have been put back into operation. [http://www.c4tx.org/ctx/job/cdb/precis.cfm?sd=19910411&in=7304302] Prosecutors had asked for seven-year sentences for manslaughter against both father and son. Christos Doules, former director of the shipping firm for whom prosecutors had sought a sentence of two years and four months.

Charges

Lucas Haji-Ioannou, and his son Stelios Haji-Ioannou, faced charges of the manslaughter of the six killed, extortion and intimidating and attempting to bribe witnesses. Both accepted the charges and pleaded guilty.

Outcome

Despite the heavy charges levied against them, Stelios Haji-Ioannou and his father were only jailed for ten years. [cite news | first=Joanna | last=Walters | coauthors= | title=Making it all look easy | date=Sunday April 21, 2002 | publisher= | url =http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4398299,00.html | work =Observer | pages = | accessdate = 2007-09-10 | language = ] ' [cite news | first=Jean | last=Christou | coauthors= | title=News Articles in English - digest | date=Tuesday, November 25, 1997 | publisher= | url =http://www.hri.org/news/cyprus/cmnews/1997/97-11-25.cmnews.html#09 | work =Cyprus Mail | pages = | accessdate = 2007-09-10 | language = ]

Reception

Italy's Environment Ministry under-secretary at the time said he was "greatly embittered" by the verdict saying "The victims, the relatives and the marine environment that were all seriously damaged are left without convincing answers. [http://www.hri.org/news/cyprus/cmnews/1997/97-11-25.cmnews.html]

The Italian president of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Grazia Francescato said in a statement that she was disgusted with Mr Haji-Ioannou's conduct and drew similarities with the then recent Moby Prince disaster and the acquittal of four men on charges of manslaughter in the ferry disaster off the Tuscan city of Livorno that killed 140 people in the same day of Haven's accident. [http://www.hri.org/news/cyprus/cmnews/1997/97-11-25.cmnews.html]

NUMAST, the union which represents merchant officers, described the acquittal as "depressing", a sentiment also expressed by the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF).Only by making ship owners accountable for the state of vessels under their control would substandard ships be eliminated, Andrew Linington, head of communications at NUMAST said."Even when ship owners were clearly linked with a ship that did not meet acceptable standards it seems no action will be taken," Linington said. [http://www.hri.org/news/cyprus/cmnews/1997/97-11-25.cmnews.html]

hip Wreck

The "Haven" now lies at a depth of 33 to 83m off the coast of Genoa. It is claimed to be the largest shipwreck in the world and as with many old wrecks it is a popular tourist attraction with deep sea divers. [cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Haven: The world's largest wreck at Arenzana-Genova, Italy | date= | publisher=Diving-World | url =http://www.diving-world.com/haven.htm | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-09-10 | language = ]

See also

* Amoco Cadiz
* List of shipwrecks in 1991
* Moby Prince
* Stelios Haji-Ioannou

References

External links

* [http://www.haven.it/change_language.asp?lang=2 Italian site about the tragedy]
* [http://www.hri.org/news/cyprus/cmnews/1997/97-11-25.cmnews.html Cyprus News Item]
* [http://www.divernet.com/cgi-bin/articles.pl?id=3874&sc=&ac=d&an= Wreck of the Amoco Mifford Haven at DIVERNET]
* [http://www.relitti.it/relitti/generale/relitto.asp?IDRelitto=2&relitto=Haven Wreck of the Haven at www.relitti.it]
* [http://www.sub-abysso.com/eng/haven_wreck.htm A technical overview with pictures]