Eight months after a major oil spill off the coast of Tobago, government officials have confirmed the arrest of the tug believed to have caused the spill. The Finance Minister of the island nation, Colm Imbert, announced the arrest during a session of the country’s senate. The tug, named the Solo Creed, was arrested in Angola after a joint effort by various agencies including the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs.
The tug had been the subject of an international search following the oil spill incident in February, which initially was thought to be a vessel capsizing. The circumstances surrounding the incident are still unclear, and ownership of the tug remains a mystery. The arrest was ordered by the court in Angola to allow Trinidad and Tobago to protect its claim for damages, with a preliminary claim of $244 million entered by the Finance Ministry.
The tug, which had turned off its AIS transmissions after the incident, was located in Angola in May. It has changed names and ownership several times, with databases reflecting it as the Ranger. The vessel departed Panama in January, and satellite images showed it towing an object towards Tobago in February. The government is committed to holding the owners accountable for the environmental damage caused and is seeking recovery of expenses from the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund.
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