FSL TRUST slams writ on Daxin Petroleum and subsidiaries

FSL wants remedy for all the damages caused by the arrest of Nika I and FSL Singapore.

FSL Trust Management Pte. Ltd. (FSLTM), Trustee-Manager of First Ship Lease Trust (FSL Trust) said in a report on Thursday that, together with its wholly-owned subsidiaries FSL-18 Pte. Ltd. (FSL-18) and FSL-19 Pte. Ltd. (FSL-19), it has filed a Writ of Summons on 20 July 2010 in the Supreme Court of Singapore, against Daxin Petroleum Pte. Ltd. (Daxin), Rovina Shipping Company Ltd. (Rovina), Mesino Shipping Company Ltd. (Mesino) and three individuals namely, Messrs Gary Geller, Ngiam Tee Chiang and Per Sanfrid Landin.

Both Rovina and Mesino, which were the respective charterers of the vessels ‘Nika I’ (to be renamed ‘FSL Hamburg’) and ‘Verona I’ (now renamed ‘FSL Singapore’) under the bareboat charter contracts with FSL Trust, are affiliated companies of Daxin.

Both vessels, which are now released after FSLTM provided the required securities, had been arrested by Daxin in June 2010 in respect of alleged claims against Rovina and Mesino for unpaid bunkers which Daxin had allegedly supplied to the vessels.

In the Writ, FSLTM is claiming various remedies including damages for all loss and damage suffered in connection with the arrests of the 2 vessels.

According to the report, FSL-18 and FSL-19 are vigorously defending the claims made against the vessels in the said legal actions in Japan and the People’s Republic of China.