The Spanish government will not let The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) interview the captain of the Bahamian registered oil tanker, Prestige, seriously hindering inquiries into the cause of the oil spill disaster.
Mervyn Jones, director of the London-based Bahamas Maritime Authority confirmed in an interview with The Tribune yesterday that two senior BMA officials – captains Douglas Bell and Stephen Clinch – would return to london last night having done "all they can do" after their requests were refused to interview Apostulos Maguras, the Greek captain of the Bahamian registered Prestige.
Captain Maguras is being held on charges of disobeying authorities and endangering the environment.
The BMA officials "liased with Spanish authorities" as well as the BMA's Spanish representative on site, but were unable to gain access to captain Maguras, the director said.
Mr. Jones said, "it is of great concern that a Bahamas registered captain is under arrest."
The sinking of the Prstige, 150 miles off the coast of Spain Tuesday morning, after the tanker, damaged in a storm, leaked oil, is classified as one of the world's worst environmental disasters.
How long the vessel's tanks will hold as a barrier between the Atlantic ocean and a cargo of almost 80,000 tons of oil is uncertain, according to environmentalists.
Thousands of tons have already been released into Spainsh waters since Wednesday, November 13.
While it has been reported that the vessel's tanks remain intact at the bottom of the ocean, Mr. Jones confirmed that the depth at which the two halves of the wreck have come to rest, some 10,000 feet below sea level, effectively rules out any attempt to remove or resurface the vessel.
The inaccessability of the vessel means that "the captain is the key to the investigation," according to Mr. Jones.
While Captains Bell and Clinch did interview crew members of the Prestige, captain Maguras is the only individual who can provide crucial information, for example whether the accident "happened slowly or in a flash," if "water rushed in and if so how quickly" and "at what rate" the oil began spilling initially.
The captain is also the only person who can provide detailed information about the vessel's history since its last inspection, repairs or modifications to the hull being significant in that they could have potentially created weaknesses, Mr. Jones said.
Permanent Secretary in The Ministry of Transport, Archie Nairn told The Tribune that he is aware of the situation about captain Maguras and is in consultation with the Minister about the matter.
He said that at this point "we cannot comment definitively on what action is to be taken", remarking that the Ministry of transport is negotiating a very difficult situation."
By Paco Nunez, the Tribune
