Farah III: Tigers want direct deal with Jordan

The LTTE has turned down a request by the Jordanian owners of the merchant vessel Farah III stranded in the waters of Mullaitivu to permit its engineers to inspect the ship about its sea-worthiness and tow it to the Colombo harbour.

The request had been conveyed through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). However the LTTE has said it would consider favourably a direct appeal from the Jordanian government.

The hull of the ship is believed to have been damaged when it drifted towards the shore and the company wants to send a team of engineers to examine the extent of damage and have it towed to Colombo for repairs.

An ICRC spokesman said that even though it intervened to have the men on board released, it could not intervene in the case of the ship. The Jordanian company and the local agent have also asked the Peace Secretariat to assist them to have the ship released.

Navy spokesman D.K.P. Dassanayake said if the LTTE allowed the engineers to go to inspect the ship, ICRC officials could accompany them either by road or via boat from Trincomalee. He said that the Navy was still monitoring the situation of the ship.

The Jordanian ship carrying 14,000 tons of rice from Andhra Pradesh in India to South Africa was hit by mechanical failure in rough seas off Mullaitivu and was forcibly boarded by LTTE cadres who took control of it. Its 25-member crew was handed over to the ICRC later on Monday.

The crew members, except Captain Ramaz S. Abdul Jabbar and another, have left the country. On Thursday representatives of the company and the captain met Acting Foreign Ministry Secretary Geetha de Silva to look into the possible government intervention in the issue. A Foreign ministry official said the ICRC and Government’s peace secretariat had been informed about the request of the company.