The Greek shipowner, Evangelos Angelakos, was whacked with a $1.5m bill by a federal judge in Seattle on Friday after a jury found one of his ships had deliberately pumped around 5,000 gallons of oily water into the Pacific, then lied and falsified records to try and cover up the crime.
Judge John Coughenour in handing down the fine said he wanted to send a message “that will resonate with other parties in this industry and cause them to pause when they think about creating a corporate culture that encourages deception.”
The vessel, the Gallia Graeca, arrived at the Pier 86 grain terminal on Seattle’s waterfront from China in October 2015 to pick up a $20m shipment of soybeans. The US Coast Guard (USCG) inspected the ship and quickly found a number of things wrong with the vessel sparking an investigation that has eventually led to the big fine on Friday.
, arrived at the Pier 86 grain terminal on Seattle’s waterfront from China in October 2015 to pick up a $20m shipment of soybeans. The US Coast Guard (USCG) inspected the ship and quickly found a number of things wrong with the vessel sparking an investigation that has eventually led to the big fine on Friday.
