Flag of Convenience threatens national security

BY JESSICA ROUSE

The murder of two sailors on board the Sage Sagittarius on its way to Newcastle in 2012 sparked a senate inquiry into the Flag of Convenience (FOC) shipping company and now it's been found to be posing a huge threat to our national security.

The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITWF) is calling on the government to step in and stop using FOC in Australia after the inquiry also found murder, gun-running, slave labour and harassment are just some of the things which happen on board. The inquiry found the Captain of the Sage Sagittarius was doing just that, ruling his ship with intimidation, but nothing was done.

The findings come one day after the Government announced they would create a Ministry of Home Affairs, but the ITWF National Coordinator Dean Summers doesn't think it will make a difference to the national security threats posed by FOC.

Sage Sagittarius Image wikipedia

"The Australian government doesn't seem too concerned about the security vulnerabilities in the shipping sector. If the same things were even suggested in the aviation sector or anywhere else, you'd have the whole intelligence organisation in Australia focusing on it,"

Dean Summers also says our national security is simply becoming vulnerable under the FOC shipping company. The organisation is accusing the Turnbull Government of replacing Australian seafarers with the lawlessness of FOC sailors probably because they're cheaper.

"Our national security have vulnerabilities when replacing Australians with Flag of Convenience. Even our Australian  Border Force (ABF) has stated very very clearly Flags of Convenience offer Terrorist organisations and organised crime groups the capacity to operate within Australia and around Australia," said Dean Summers.

The committee at the inquiry also made mention they were very concerned that FOC vessels were carrying dangerous goods around Australia's coast, "including ammonium nitrate and petroleum products. Last financial year, only 1,072 of the 15,715 commercial vessels arriving in Australia were searched by ABF".

The committee has made several recommendations in a bid to stop the use of the FOC shipping company.

Foul play in ship deaths

BY MARISSA ALEXIOU and JESSICA ROUSE

Findings from a Coronial inquiry have confirmed two seafarers were murdered on board the Panamanian registered Sage Sagittarius bound for Newcastle from Japan.

The three unexplained deaths on board the ship, trading between Newcastle and Japan resulted in a federal police investigation, followed by a senate inquiry. The third death was beyond the scope of the Australian investigation. 

The inquiry found the chief engineer and the ships chef met with foul play by unidentified person/s on the ship.

Cesar Llanto, the 42-year-old cook disappeared overboard in August 2012 as it approached Australian waters and two weeks later his friend and chief engineer Hector Collado, 55, was killed when the ship moored at Newcastle Harbour. 

The third suspicious death was sent to Japanese authorities to investigate. A company official, sent by the owners to Australia to investigate, was found dead on the ship once it was docked back in Japan. 

The inquest heard there was "intense conflict and mistrust amongst the crew" and some of the crew were reportedly going to report the captain for alleged physical assaults and maltreatment. 

The recommendations from the inquest have been dismissed by the federal government, posing a risk to national security.

The International Transport Workers Federation see it as a massive threat to National Security and are urging the Turbull government to stand up and seriously look at the evidence from the inquiry.