Six of the 15 Korean fishing vessels impounded by Bahamas Customs have left the country, and the remaining nine boats are expected to leave by the end of this week, claimed the Comptroller of Customs, John Rolle, on Wednesday.
Mr Rolle told The Guardian in a telephone interview that nine boats remained at Morgan’s Bluff, North Andros, because of inclement weather. He did state however, that a larger boat had to be used to ship the nine remaining vessels, but inclement weather also prevented the large ship from leaving.
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, V. Alfred Gray, told The Guardian earlier this month, that the 15 boats were set to leave the country, after Korean businessmen who claimed to be the rightful owners, satisfied the court and government of their ownership with the documents submitted.
On Wednesday, Mr Rolle said the group of six Korean men had to supply Customs with an invoice to prove they actually bought the 15 boats. He said the Koreans are now fully responsible for the boats removal.
“Within a week, they also have to supply us with proof that they are out of the country. For instance, if they went to Cuba, the Cuban authorities would have to send us a landing certificate,” he said.
According to Mr Rolle, some of the boats have been shipped to the United States and the Turks and Caicos Islands. He said it does not matter where the boats are transferred, as long as they are out of the country.
“I have too much on my plate to even worry about what they are doing,” he said.
Nonetheless, Mr Rolle said the Korean mother ship is still docked in Grand Bahama. He explained that the vessel is scheduled to be shipped out of the country after its hull is repaired. He said the department is presently concerned about having the 15 smaller boats removed from the country.
Mr Rolle said the controversy surrounding the boats was “blown out of proportion” and “poorly handled.”
The Korean boats were initially brought into the country last October by Netsiwill Holdings Ltd, a Bahamian company, reportedly owned by Earlin Williams, a former consultant at The Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC).
Neneka Bahamas Ltd, a company owned and operated by Tae Jing Suk, a Korean born American, and Netsiwill Holdings, had made arrangements for a $20 million investment in North Andros. It was disclosed by former BAIC chairman, Sidney Stubbs, that fishermen in North Andros were granted a $2.5 million mortgage for 15 boats from Neneka Bahamas Ltd to enhance the fishing industry.
A formal application was made to the Department of Fisheries for a permit to have the boats imported duty free on Oct. 28. Although a licence was issued on Oct. 30, when the vessels arrived in The Bahamas, Customs was instructed to revoke the registration permit issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and impound the vessels, as it was not clear whether they were 100 per cent Bahamian owned.
In addition, the registration certificate for the vessels was also revoked by the Department of Fisheries. However, it was reported that Mr Williams secured a $2.5 million mortgage from the Koreans for the vessels. The Koreans then transferred ownership of the boats to him for $1. Upon revocation of Netsiwill’s permit and certificate, the Customs Department ordered Mr Williams to pay $675,000 in customs duty, as the boats were no longer duty free. The boats were also ordered out of the country by the government.
But instead of being immediately removed from the country, the boats were impounded by Customs and remained in The Bahamas.
Mr Williams insisted in previous interviews with The Guardian that his company legally owned the boats. He claimed the Government had not stated under what authority it was acting when it instructed that his boats had to leave the country. He further explained that he was told in addition to Customs duties no longer being accepted from him, he would receive no duty free privileges, nor would he be granted a fishing licence.
In March, Mr Williams told the press he planned to take the government to court to quash a decision withdrawing his company’s permission to fish in Bahamian waters. However, Fisheries minister, Gray, told The Guardian that regardless of Mr Williams’s decision to sue, Mr Williams did not submit any “proof” of his rightful ownership of the impounded vessels.
Tamara McKenzie, The Nassau Guardian
