Decisión nº: 001120

In April 2000 the 1971 Fund Administrative Council noted that in November 1999 the Ajman Criminal Court of first instance had found the master of the tug (Falcon 1) that was towing the barge Pontoon 300 at the time of the incident, the tug owner and alleged cargo owner and their respective general managers guilty of the misuse of the barge, which was not in a seaworthy condition and thus in violation of United Arab Emirates law, and causing harm to the people and the environment by use of the unseaworthy barge. It was noted that the master of the tug, the tug owner and its general manager had appealed, but the alleged cargo owner had not. The Council further noted that in February 2000 the Ajman Criminal Court of Appeal found the tug owner and its general manager not guilty, but confirmed the guilty verdict against the master of the tug, the alleged owner of the cargo and its general manager personally (in absentia).