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Two arrests at RINA over alleged irregular certifications

Two inspectors at RINA, the Italian classification society, have been arrested today over irregular certifications to ferries and cargo ships following an investigation launched in 2013 after the Jolly Nero’s accident occurred in Genoa resulting in the pilot tower collapsing.

Another two employees from the local Coast Guard in Genoa have been suspended and some 35 people are being investigated by the local court for some safety certifications released to some ships which appeared not in compliance with the required safety rules, according to the prosecutor. The prosecutor of the court is questioning the certifications RINA gave to many ships in the recent past. Another accident involving the Norman Atlantic roro is also currently under investigation.

A statement circulated by RINA says that the classification society’s actions are compliant with many national and international regulations and frequently it is subject to controls from flag states, the European Commission and other entities.

Nicola Capuzzo

Nicola is a highly qualified journalist focused on transport economics, logistics and shipping with broad experience in both online and printed media. Specialties: shipping, ship finance, banking, commodities and port economics. He regularly interviews Europe's top shipowner executives for Maritime CEO magazine.

Comments

  1. Calls into question the status of RINA certification for Costa Concordia? Also why the RINA President chose to retire a few days after that incident occured!

  2. Disturbing news, it calls into question why the people involved on board and in the office would accept the rules being bent so that their vessel gained certification which it did not comply with. It would certainly invalidate their ISM certification. What also should be examined is why would the shipowners management collude in this? If true this would mean that both the Class and shipowners were acting in a negligent manner.
    I wonder if these issues will be followed through to their logical conclusion, or will it just be a couple of surveyors who take the rap?

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