No arms in Jordanian ship - Navy

Manjula Fernando

COLOMBO: The Navy yesterday brushed off speculation that the Jordanian ship which drifted towards Mullaitivu seas following a technical failure was carrying arms to the LTTE.

Navy Spokesman Commander D.M.K. Dasanayake said several authorities confirmed that the vessel held by the LTTE was actually carrying a rice consignment from India to South Africa at the time it drifted off to Mullaitivu seas due to an engine failure.

"We have got confirmation that the ship was loaded with 14,000 metric tonnes of rice from the South Indian port of Kakinada, from the Indian Ports Authority," Commander Dassanayake said. Kakinada is 260 nautical miles North of Madrass.

"We also questioned the Colombo Agent of the shipping line which owned Farha III and got confirmation from the Jordanian Ambassador based in India," he said when asked if the authenticity of the vessel had been established.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman said the Jordanian Government had been in touch with the Sri Lankan Government to gain release of the 25 member crew, now in the custody of the LTTE since Saturday.

"We are trying to coordinate their release with the countries as the crew consist of different nationals," he said

The ship is captained by an Iraqi and some crew members are Egyptians.

The LTTE went on board the Jordanian ship disregarding a 'strong SLMM request' to allow the Navy to salvage the stationary ship and took the crew into custody.

The SLMM also urged the LTTE to respect international Law and sovereign rights of the country in the territorial waters surrounding Sri Lanka.

When asked if there was any communique as to when the crew will be released an SLMM spokesman said yesterday "No we don't have any information from the LTTE."

The ship had been circumnavigating Sri Lanka from the East to West enroute to South Africa. The winds which blows towards land during the now active north eastern monsoon season had been the reason for the vessel to drift towards the Mullaitivu coast following the engine trouble.