Simpet Global Logistics Ltd

THE MASTER and chief officer of the tanker Hebei Spirit won the right today to be allowed to head home to India from South Korea.

Daejeon Court ruled today that Captain Jasprit Chawla and Syam Chetan were not guilty of ‘ship destruction’ and were instead liable only for oil pollution, according a source close to the hearings told Fairplay.

They were still ordered today to pay a penalty, which could range up to $16,000.

Hebei Spirit was at the centre of a major environmental disaster in which more than 12,000 tonnes of oil were spilled after the tanker collided with tugs off an island resort near Taean in South Korea in December 2007.

The release of the crew caps a furious international campaign led by global seafarer associations and the manager of the tanker, V. Ships. The imprisonment of the crew has been widely criticised in international maritime circles.

The CEO of V. Ships Shipmanagement, Bob Bishop, once said: “We will not just stand by and let this ongoing face-saving exercise destroy the lives and careers of two highly professional seafarers.”

Chawla and Chetan were originally charged with wilful destruction of property and sentenced to 1.5 years in prison and a much greater fine in December last year.

They were bailed in March, but were been barred from travelling home.

The International Chamber of Shipping said then: "We remain at a loss to understand how the two officers […] could be guilty of causing pollution."

source:www.fairplay.co.uk/