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| Ship Theft Doubles UNMIL, NPA Trade Blame |
| Published on May 25, 2007 | Email To Friend Print Version
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In less than a week, two ships (MV Tahoma Reefer and MV Aimi) have been stolen at the National Port Authority (NPA), raising serious concern of insecurity in the public. The ships have gone missing despite the presence of port securities and UNMIL soldiers assigned at the Port.
NPA authorities and the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) are trading blame on each others for the mysterious disappearances of the two commercial ships, especially the last one which disappeared Wednesday morning, according to Port authorities.
Tahoma was last weekend towed away from Liberian territorial waters, near the port, when pirates including elements of the Liberian National Police (LNP) attacked men repairing the ship. Two, including an UNMIL trained police officer, have been booked awaiting trial, while the rest are still on the run. UNMIL spotted Tahoma this week deep into Ivorian waters, being reportedly towed by two smaller boats.
While efforts are under way to get Tahoma back, the NPA Wednesday evening announced that MV Aimi docked at the port’s anchorage has mysteriously disappeared. The Port Management though suspended several of its security staff, however threw blames on UNMIL for the missing ship.
At a press conference, the NPA argued that UNMIL is responsible for the overall security of the country including the Port. “We find it difficult to comprehend how a detachment of UNMIL Security personnel could be in the Port to secure its facilities for such an irregular happening to occur, especially so when the incident reportedly occurred at odds hours when the entire Port operations have closed down with UNMIL left with the responsibility to provide security to the Port and its assets,” the Port management said.
However, UNMIL yesterday reacted to the blame shifted on it, rejecting the allegation.
“The UN Mission in Liberia, UNMIL, has rejected media reports claiming that the latest incident involving a ‘missing’ vessel from the Freeport of Monrovia was due to a lapse in security on the part of the Mission,” an official UNMIL statement said.
The statement said UNMIL is aware that the vessel in question was authorized by the Liberia Electricity Corporation, LEC, to carry scrap metal, but it left the port without paying the required taxes to the Liberian authorities.
“Only the National Port Authority (NPA) can authorize commercial vessels to leave the Freeport and UNMIL was not asked to intervene to prevent the vessel from sailing,” the statement pointed out.
The statement further states that whenever the Liberian authorities requested UNMIL to prevent ships or vessels from leaving ports it did so. This has been the case in the past for vessels picking up scrap in Greenville, Buchanan and Harper.
“No request was made to UNMIL to stop this particular shipment from leaving the port. There were no unusual or special security circumstances that warranted UNMIL’s intervention in the regular operations of the port,” the statement maintained.
UNMIL concluded by saying it believes that the responsibility for the release of vessels from the Freeport remains with the National Port Authority aided by the Seaport Police. The events leading up to the unauthorized departure of the vessel carrying the scrap metal should therefore be thoroughly investigated by those bodies.
The NPA says it has already forwarded the heads of the Sea Port Security to the justice Ministry for investigation.
Addressing a press conference yesterday, Assistant Information Minister for Information Services Gabriel Williams, said government is exerting all efforts to bring the situation under control. He said perpetrators would be pursued and brought to justice.
Meanwhile there are worrisome concerns in the public over the state of insecurity in recent days in Monrovia and its environs, with rise in robberies and other crimes. The home of the Police Director, Col. Munah Sieh herself, has fallen prey to attacks by robbers, D. Kaihenneh Sengbeh writes.
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