Mention The Detention Of Container Ship Ever Given Wrong, Lawyers: SCA Doesn't Issue Ban

JAKARTA - Lawyers for the owner of the giant container ship Ever Given, which had been stranded in the Suez Canal for a week, have called the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) guilty of detaining his client's ship.

The giant container ship Ever Given crashed in the Suez Canal due to strong winds on March 23. As a result, the ship was held for six days, hampering ship traffic on the canal that became the lifeblood of international shipping.

After being successfully transferred, SCA detained the ship in a lake between two canals, pursuing a fine and loss claim of $ 916.5 million or about IDR 13.3 trillion against Japanese owner Shoei Kisen.

An appeal hearing on financial claims by the SCA and an appeal by the ship's owner's lawyers over the move, which was held at Ismailia's Economic Court on Saturday

Shoei Kisen's lawyers argued the SCA had been guilty of allowing the ship into the Suez Canal waterway amid bad weather on March 23. Team member Ahmed Abu Ali said authorities failed to prove any wrongdoing by the ship.

"Footage from the ship submitted to the court shows disagreements between the SCA pilots and the control center as to whether the ship should enter the canal", Abu Ali said, speaking to Reuters Sunday, May 23.

"The ship was supposed to be accompanied by at least two tugs that fit the size of the ship, but this is not the case", he added.

SCA did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but publicly denied that they were guilty.

In addition, Shoei Kisen's lawyers also argued detention of Ever Given was legally flawed. It is said that the evacuees' work of the ship is not a rescue (operation) in the proper legal sense.

"SCA cannot seek compensation for such operations. According to the traffic contract, this is one of the authority's duties,", said Abu Ali.

He added that Shoei Kisen claimed initial compensation of $ 100,000 for damages related to the ship's detention.

The Ismaili Economic Court of Egypt will issue a decision on the matter today local time.