Ionia found guilty on oil record charges

GREEK-based tanker operator Ionia Management faces fines of up to US9m after being convicted in the US for, according to the US Justice Department, “its role in overboard dumping of waste oil from the Kriton into international waters and its efforts to impede the U.S. Coast Guard and other authorities from learning of the dumping”.

After a trial of two weeks in New Haven, Connecticut, the company was convicted on 13 counts of violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, three counts of falsifying records in a federal investigation, one count of obstruction of justice, and one count of conspiracy. The maximum fine on each count is $500,000, for a total maximum fine of $9 million. Sentencing is scheduled for 28 November 28.

The company, which was already on probation in the Eastern District of New York, was convicted of falsifying records to conceal the illegal discharge of oil-contaminated waste and of using and presenting false oil record books and other documents to the Coast Guard in port calls in the District of Connecticut, Southern District of Florida, Eastern District of New York and the Virgin Islands. It was also convicted of conspiracy and obstruction of justice by destroying the flexible rubber bypass hose used to dump waste overboard, while the Coast Guard was onboard the Kriton conducting its investigation.