US-sanctioned Guyana-flagged tankers were fraudulently registered

Last Updated on Thursday, 26 December 2024, 20:09 by Writer

Guyana’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) on Thursday said the five Guyana-flagged oil tankers that were recently sanctioned by the United States (US) Treasury Department for alleged links to terrorism are not connected to Guyanese citizens, residents or incorporated businesses registered here.

“These ships are not registered in Guyana; thus, they are false and fraudulent registrations,” MARAD said in a statement in response to a Capitol News report.

The tankers named by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) are:

1. CHLOE (also known as SAM 121) (8RAX1);
2. LIA, also known as Domani, Gerd Knutsen and Serenity;
3. Baron, also known as Daran, Upman and 8RCB2;
4. MIA, also known as Freedom and Magnus (8RCY1), and
5. RAMONA I, also known as Shadi (8RPE6)

Guyana, through MARAD operates a closed registry. MARAD said the registration of vessels under the Guyana flag is limited to ships owned by Guyanese nationals, residents, citizens of Caribbean Community states (CARICOM), and corporate bodies established under the laws of Guyana.

“None of the purported owners falls into any of these categories,” MARAD said.

The Guyana government denied that it was operating a separate ship registry and vowed not to facilitate registrations outside the existing system. “The Government of Guyana makes it pellucid that there is no sinister plot afoot to operate or have a separate ship registry and Guyana does not, has not, and will not offer a flag of convenience for vessels. In this regard, it continues to take steps to protect the sovereignty and integrity of Guyana,” government said.

The false registration of vessels under the name of Guyana dates back to 2021. “The perpetrators of this fraud have targeted several countries including Guyana, Panama, and regional states.’

MARAD and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continue to share information on these false registrations which come into our possession, with all United Nations (U.N.) member states and relevant regional and international maritime associations, the maritime regulator added.

The sanctions being applied by the United States of America, the United Kingdom and other Western States are part of the said response to the threats posed by these false registrations, MARAD added.

The sanctions mean that all foreign persons connected with the vessels are blocked for having committed, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States.