ARGENTINA/FILE: Argentine government gives deadline for Ghana to release seized military training vessel

Record ID: 447163

  • Title: ARGENTINA/FILE: Argentine government gives deadline for Ghana to release seized military training vessel
  • Date: 12th November 2012
  • Summary: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (NOVEMBER 12, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF GOVERNMENT HOUSE AND ARGENTINE FLAG ARGENTINE DEFENCE MINISTER ARTURO PURICELLI AND ARGENTINE FOREIGN MINISTER HECTOR TIMERMAN ENTERING ROOM TO GIVE NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ARGENTINE FOREIGN MINISTER, HECTOR TIMERMAN, SAYING: "The Ghanaian government has until tomorrow, Tuesday 13 to sort out this provisional measure and liberate the ship. If this isn't the case, one day later, the 14 of November, the Argentine government will bring this measure to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, as it is set out in Article 290, paragraph five of the Convention." VARIOUS OF MINISTERS LEAVING THE NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 27th November 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ghana, Argentina
  • City:
  • Country: Argentina Ghana
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVADR7GLKO4NC18MYQQYXM9M5DK4
  • Story Text: Argentine ministers announced on Monday (November 12) that it would lodge a case at a United Nations tribunal if the Ghanaian government failed to release an Argentine vessel by Tuesday (November 13).
    The South American country says international law prohibits warships from being seized in foreign ports.
    "The Ghanaian government has until tomorrow, Tuesday 13 to sort out this provisional measure and liberate the ship. If this isn't the case, one day later, the 14 of November, the Argentine government will bring this measure to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, as it is set out in Article 290, paragraph 5 of the Convention," said Argentine Foreign Minister, Hector Timerman.
    The ship was detained in Ghana's eastern port of Tema on October 2 on a court order obtained by NML Capital Ltd, which claims Argentina owes it $300 million on bonds in default since 2002.
    About 300 crew members were evacuated from the ship last month and fewer than 50 sailors remain on the vessel to keep up essential maintenance.
    The Argentine Defense Ministry initially filed a motion contesting the ship's detention, claiming sovereign immunity for the military vessel, but a court in Ghana's capital, Accra, upheld the seizure as legal. Argentina has appealed the ruling.
    Argentine officials call NML Capital a "vulture fund" because it buys distressed or defaulted debt and then sues in international courts to get paid in full.
    President Cristina Fernandez said recently that Argentina will not pay "one dollar to the vulture funds."
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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