The owner of Ever Given, the container ship that blocked the Suez Canal in March says the canal authority was at fault over its grounding, the lawyer representing the vessel’s owner said as it disputes the vessel's detention and a compensation claim.
A decision over the canal authority’s compensation claim against the owner of the massive container ship will be taken by an Egyptian court on Sunday.
The container, which was stuck at the canal for six days, blocked its passageway in both directions, affecting global trade. The vessel was finally floated after mud underneath its hull was sucked out and tugboats pulled and pushed at the vessel.
Japanese owner of the vessel Shoei Kisen is being sued for a compensation of $916.5 million by the Suez Canal Authority. The canal authority says the amount includes loss of transit fee and labour and equipment cost accrued during the dredging and salvaging efforts.
Ahmed Abu Ali, a member of the legal team representing the vessel’s owner said the canal authority was at fault for allowing the vessel to pass during bad weather.
Abu Ali also said that authorities failed to prove that the container was at fault for getting stuck at the canal. Despite being freed in April, the vessel remains detained at the Suez Canal.
Lawyers for Shoei Kisen also argued that Ever Given's detention was legally flawed and that the work to release the ship was not “a salvage in the proper legal sense,” Reuters reported.
“This was one of the duties of the authority according to the traffic contract,” Abu Ali said, adding that Shoei Kisen is claiming $100,000 in initial compensation for losses related to its detention.
