Ghana will insist in relocating Argentine frigate with a new court order
Ghana’s government is expected to submit a petition on Monday to cut all water, electricity and fuel supply to Argentina’s navy training ARA Libertad frigate after armed sailors prevented an operation led by local port authorities, GPHA, who wanted to relocate the ship to another berth, spokesmen of Tema Port said.
The frigate has been seized under an impound order since early October (42 days) on request of the US investment fund NML-Capital.
Argentina’s Defence Minister Arturo Puricelli had previously indicated that Argentine armed sailors prevented on Wednesday the relocation of the frigate by officials from the port of Tema (Ghana’s most important) allegedly supported by a court resolution in which the plaintiffs argued that the vessel was occupying very valuable docking space in an already congested terminal.
According to the Argentine Defence ministry Friday release “the Ghanaian Port Authority sought to assault the ship and relocate it by force, without a court order endorsing such behaviour”.
Apparently the Tema port authorities turned up with a pier crew, two tugs and a crane ready to move the frigate. But following on orders from Buenos Aires, based on the counsel from the Ghana solicitors defending Argentina’s case, they were told not to move and resist any attempts of such actions.
Port authorities apparently did have a court order for moving the vessel from pier 11 to pier 6, a kilometre away, but the decision was appealed by Argentina’s solicitor Kizituo Beyuo from Fountain Chambers who wrote a letter to the GPHA indicating that the High Court had granted a seven day extension.
“The court ordered that the defendant's vessel, Fragata Libertad, currently at berth 11, Tema Port, be moved and kept at berth six. The defendant has since appealed to the Court of Appeal against the decision of His Lordship Adjei-Frimpong. By rule 27(3) of the Court of Appeal rules CI 19, there is an automatic stay of execution of the order by His Lordship Adjei-Frimpong for a period of seven days, immediately following the giving of the judgment or decision.
“This letter is to draw your attention to the above provision, in order that you do not take any steps in furtherance the order appealed against, which will render our client's appealed nugatory.”
GPHA head Jacob Kwabla Adorkor, quoted by the Argentine media admitted “we never expected the Argentines to point us with rifles; we expected them to act professionally; this is not a war, we carried no guns or munitions, we only wanted to talk to them”.
Adorkor denied port authorities had cut the electricity supply to the vessel, “they have their own generators” and contrary to reports in Buenos Aires pier six is only one kilometre away inside the port of Tema.
“What concerns us is not ARA Libertad’s debt, we are losing 60.000 dollars a day which other container vessels should be paying for operating in this busy part of the harbour”, added the Ghana official.
According to Buenos Aires media reports the Argentine Defence ministry is considering replacing the current crew because of the incident, but there are also growing questions about what really happened last Wednesday and if the Argentine ambassador in Nigeria and concurrent in Ghana, Susana Pataro was allowed on board.
Furthermore the political system is demanding to know why the frigate originally docked in Ghana when Argentina was well aware of the permanent hounding from the so called ‘vulture funds”. Rumours in Congress are that Defence Minister Puricelli will step down once the recovery of the vessel is on track.
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No!
Do you know what a well-thrown keyboard can do to ones teeth?
ProRG. Argentine:
“Shoot their d--rk as-es if they try it!”
Sounds racist to me. What will the Ghanaians think??
Guzzano:
”Soon they've lost more money on the Libertad taking up space than they gained by Singer bribes :)))”
Argentina could pay their own moorage - that way, they would have no confrontations and keep their services. If the Libertad were returned to Argentina, they could sue Singer for costs.
Conversely,
Once the ship were forfeited to Singer, HE could pay the fees. Once the ship was auctioned off, singer could deduct the moorage fees, plus other expenses, from the money received from the sale. the net amount would go towards the outstanding debt.
What's wrong with that??
“When I respond, they cry to mommy and get my posts deleted,”
Don't respond, then ...
If the Argentines open fire on the port authorities in lawful pursuit of their court orders, then the Argentine sailors will die. Their blood will be on CFK's hands for allowing this to get this far.
Argentina is resisting the port move on the basis that they are more of a nuisance if they occupy one of the commercial berths. The port authorities have no choice, they have to move the frigate, but they will not let it leave port.
This has become a matter of national pride for Ghana as much as for Argentina. However, the Argentine government has abandoned all reason (as well as their sailors) by not accepting that these debts have to be settled to allow the vessel to leave. So we are following a path which lead to an inevitable conclusion, whereby the Argentine sailors will die or end up seriously wounded and for no justifiable reason.
These sailors believe that they are defending the honour of their country. They are refusing to allow the move, because they've been instructed to do so by their ambassador. The problem is that this policy can only end one way. They (and many Argentines) think that they will be martyrs if they resist. But the sad truth is they will be victims of CFK's stupidity. Her 'dictatorship' will end (and soon if the demonstrations are anything to go by) and when she's gone, the families of the sailors will complain that their loved ones did not die for their country, they died because CFK refused to honour their country's debts.
There is no honour in dying stupidly. Those Argentine sailors believe that they are defending their flag. But they can do this without dishonouring it and allow the port move. This will be a senseless waste of life if they die by using gunfire against the Ghana Port Authorities.
There seems to have been a tilt in their orders, from diversionary tactics to outright insults and racism.
Seems like the rats have felt the ship is taking on water.
The real battles will continue to be fought in the court of law.
NML is certainly winning the action thus far but in the grand scheme of things this is small change, more useful is the PR and leverage associated with this action.
Ghana obviously need to use the dock space and Argentina are being belligerent and uncooperative in not freeing up the berth as requested, hence more legal action.
Then any deaths will be attributed to the crew, and they will all be arrested and tried for murder. The Captain will be especially liable.
With any luck he isn't stupid enough to open fire, but you never know...
When the truth is that the Tema port authorities turned up with a pier crew, two tugs and a crane - assault :-D - using nuclear weapons?
Disguzzsting Gustavo, ProRG_Nutcase suggests to murder innocent members of a pier crew - in anothe rthread to kill innocent fishermen and sailors - an all you have to say about it is “Soon they've lost more money ...”
What happened to all your alleged empathy? - ain't you a hippocreep?
But this fiction of immunity is further undermined if they let the Ghanians move the ship. And if they can provoke a crisis, it will support their aim of changing the narrative from breach of contract to sovereign rights, and provide a handy nationalist diversion at this difficult time.
For a start the Argentine silors would not have dared to wave their weapons around - but if they had they'd currently be surrounded by overwhelming firepower and it would be world news and being addressed by the UNSC.
However, their patience will have limits, and should the Argentine captain and crew try to stop this legal court order to move the vessel they can be arrested.
Despite what the Argentine trolls believe, the crew does not, nor has it ever had diplomatic immunity. Also the ARA Libertad is not considered sovereign Argentine territory because Argentina WAIVED that immunity when taking out the loans that they now refuse to pay back.
So, if the Captain has any brains he'll follow this court order and move, if he doesn't he will be in contempt and arrested, as will any of his crew that try to interfere.
If they go for the weapons option they also better be prepared for the consequences of opening fire on unarmed civilians, and the Ghanaians will respond with DEADLY force, and they would be in their legal rights to do so.
No gas, water or electricity will break the morale of the Rgs.
Singer has guaranteed the port charges
Aren't the Ghanaian Courts waiting on NYC or London to issue paperwork for the seizure? Is the hold-up that Singer is including the corvette in SA on the same order? Hmm?
It would be the height of embarrassment for the Rg captain and crew to rot in jail over contempt charges? Do you think CFK would pay their bond? Or just whine over how unfair all the world is....
When the trainees left last month, a number of sailors volunteered (or were ordered) to remain by the Captain. I have no doubt that they were told that they were defending Argentine honour & their flag. That they would resist the vessel being sold, or being handed over to NML Capital.
The said truth is that they are facing a no-win scenario. They cannot defeat Ghana. Argentina is certainly not going to go to war with Ghana. If they tried, they would not only get a bloodied nose, but the condemnation of the United Nations, for instigating a war that was totally unnecessary.
Being elected to the UN Security Council comes with some responsibilities to behave as any other nation should - not to act with aggression to other countries - to pay debts on time - to represent the interests of smaller & weaker members of the UN and to protect their rights & integrity.
If Argentina acts with aggression towards Ghana, they may find that Ghana (as a Commonwealth nation & member of the African Union) will call on other nations to defend their rights. I doubt that South Africa will be so keen to release that Argentine corvette if a fellow African nation is attacked by Argentine forces.
The captain of the frigate needs to be sensible & protect his sailor's lives. He does not need to waste them in a futile effort to prevent the vessel being moved, when that move does not entail loss of his command. If he orders his men to open fire, the Ghanaian forces will prevail. If anyone is killed, then the blood of these people will be on the Captain's hands. If any Ghanaian dies then the Captain could be charged with murder. Ghana does have the death penalty and has executed in recent years.
This can only be resolved peacefully if the Captain of the ship allows the move & takes the flag when he leaves.
When will the R-gens get rid of Mrs. Bottox?
Paraguay did it in 12 hours for a LOT less doings.
The port is losing money (I wonder if Argentina will pay it's dock fees?) and they need to use the space for import/export, not old sailing boats.
Ghana is the world's second largest export of Gold and more importantl the Cocoa bean that goes into my cadbury's choccy bar.... I'm not happy
However, they are within their rights to do so.
Timmerman announced he is going to have a moan in Hamburg about his lost ship.
But no: Mr purtrescent on orders from his President and Timmerman prefers confrontation. Foriegn policy seems to be conducted in the same manner as a cornered cobra,hissing and stricking out blindly against all comers. Dont they damn well realize if they provoke an incident against Ghana, the entire African continent will be against Argentina? They may not be able to do much military, but they have a helluva lot of votes on the UN committees for what thats worth. I hate to see a proud nation such as Argentina shooting herself in the foot and frankly looking foolish to the rest of the world.
Perhaps Cristina will now pick a quarrel with Denmark and Sweden on some trumped up issue. If so it will be interesting to see Wurzels reaction!
www.gregpalast.com/the-globalizer-who-came-in-from-the-cold/
Argentinian Govt. will not pay its debts
Argentinian Govt. will make a complete arse of itself if forced to pay any of its debts.
At least nobody's trying to justify this behaviour, it is indefensible.
Poor CFK? More like very rich CFK who's had her hand in the till for years.
If Argentina had honoured its debts instead of trying to steal the money that was loaned to them in good faith, this entire situation could've been avoided.
Moving the Libertad wouldn't be dangerous, the people who do this kind of work are very experienced. It would only be dangerous if the Argentine crew broke the law and opened fire.
Pay your debts Argentina, show the world that you actually have some honour.
Thank you to the Angles, for with their words here they are clearly proving,
that the Land of Silver should and MUST never towards you be trusting,
as you shall always seek our bane for not belonging to your wretched grouping,
this Commonwerth of despotism and bullying, a stain of the past lingering.
rt.com/news/kirchner-president-public-argentina-527/
Enjoy - maybe not one for the malvinistas.
It is the Angles and their lingering union of bondage purported as kind,
that for score have tried to cow any who defies their closed views and mind,
for any who is not Angle they deem to always be wrong and blind,
the world's had enough, but most importantly who's had enough is justice divine.
Irony - if they scuttle her, they will not receive the credit of her value towards the debt.
that the most wretched chief and the most abused slave remain kin,
for when you attempt deals and colloquy with the foreign others,
the outsiders will lunge their fists to your chin, or flay your skin, even your mother's.
I maybe able to answer that.
A vessel flagged (registered) in a particular country is the sovereign territory of that country, but has to conform to the laws of the local country when they are within its jurisdiction.
Once they are within the 12 nautical mile limit, under Admiralty or Maritime law they can be boarded by the local country & detained or arrested to retain jurisdiction. They are subject to local court rulings.
The crew must allow the local authorities to board the vessel. Especially the police, port doctor (for quarantine inspection), port pilot or customs. If the Captain refuses, he (and his vessel) can be arrested and taken ashore.
Normally, a visiting warship or state owned vessel would be immune from arrest. However, as we all know, in this case, the Argentine Government waived sovereign immunity when they agreed to the bonds. Therefore, any complaint that the Argentine Captain has against being detained must be taken up against his own Government and not the local one that lawfully arrested him.
If the Captain fires upon any authority attempting to board his vessel, he could be charged with murder in the local country.
If the Captain of a sovereign vessel fires upon any authority, that could be considered an act of war.
If the Captain were to sink his own vessel, to prevent it being detained or captured, that would be an act of barratry. This used to hold the death penalty, but this lapsed after the case of the Marie Celeste.
Ghana, as a Commonwealth Nation, bases their maritime law on British Admiralty Law and they have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
If the Captain of the vessel opens fire on the port authorities attempting a properly legally ordered move, then the Ghanaian Police & Navy could lawfully return fire to subdue any resistance. The Captain of the Frigate would be held responsible for any deaths and could be tried for murder & if convicted, executed.
A very interesting article.
@52
Well explained - thank you.
In 1992, Governor Néstor Kirchner and Provincial Deputy Cristina Kirchner intensely lobbied for President Carlos Menem and his Economy Minister Domingo Cavallo’s plan to sell the state oil giant YPF to Spain’s Repsol (probably a front for Britain’s BP).
As a reward for Kirchner’s services to Menem, in 1993 Santa Cruz Province was paid by the federal government $654 million in long-outstanding royalties owed by YPF.
Thus those federal funds became provincial funds, which Kirchner immediately expatriated. Today, almost 20 years later, no one knows exactly what became of that money.
We do know that it passed through several tax havens including the Cayman Islands. We do know that when Néstor Kirchner became President in 2003, he finally admitted that those hundreds of millions of dollars were deposited with global mega-banks Morgan Stanley (Luxembourg), and UBS and Crédit Suisse (Switzerland), two tax havens known for their strict banking secrecy.
We do know that, in line with Kirchner’s sloppy management of public funds, they unwittingly admitted that Santa Cruz’s money was deposited in the “Private Banking” departments of Credit Suisse and UBS.
Which led to a key question being asked: Why were hundreds of millions of dollars in public funds deposited in the private banking department of those two Swiss banks?
Inquiries determined that these banks’ “Private Banking” departments manage funds for “very wealthy individuals”. That led to further questions: In whose name were those bank deposits? Néstor and Cristina Kirchner? Some other front man?
BUT DO THE TROLLS BELIEVE???
@32 Interesting article. Not much in the way of clues. My guess is that Timerman is hoping that Article 32 of UNCLOS will do the job. So when the other side produces the evidence that the immunity was waived. And then points to argieland's breach of Article 19 (threat or use of force), he should be stuffed again!
@35 You already posted this crap, alex. Memory going? Or just double-trolling?
@39 Latinos from “down south” like to claim that they are “American”. This is because they are a little ashamed of their own nationality. Or that calling themselves “American” makes them feel “big”!
@54 Can't think of any way they're going to get that. Somehow, I doubt Ghana is likely to cave. Argieland has threatened their sovereignty. Pulling guns on port authorities is a breach of Article 19 of UNCLOS. Best thing argies can do is to cough up the US$20 million and scuttle off. As a thought, did I see something somewhere about the argies sending out another crew? Arrives at Accra airport and refused permission to enter. Fly to Lagos. Arrive at border and refused permission to enter. Could they enter “covertly”. Wow, illegal immigrants!
In the U.S. NE, they're gas rationing just like the Carter admin..but it's low-stress. And we voted our Carter in this time!!!
Are you actually saying anything or are you just a spambot?
I see a little vent of agression reducing, POSSIBL Y, pressure against
the Falklands.
lol
Do they really believe that just because they are “British”, “American”, “French”, “German”, “Italian”, “insert any other European country here”... “Chilean”, “Uruguayan”, “Brazilian”, “Australian”, “Canadian”.... “Ghanan”, and now let's add “Russian”, they have the right to insult us up and down in the way you guys do daily? Humiliating our cultural habits, our servicemen, our food, our economy, our politics, our traditions, our music, everything?
Who the HELL gave you that right?
Assuming for one solitary second you do have that right, how on Earth can you then pretend that we Argentines have no rights to criticize your pathetic countries back? Because if or when we do, you claim we are the “agressors”?
All you can do is post these links about how the Russians say we are corrupt, the EU says we are this, the Americans that, the Brazilians and Chileans or Mexicans say the other...
The fact the rest of the world villifies us so much speaks volumes of your societies and how ordinary, vulgar, and self-deluded you are. For the Argentine media never criticizes other countries, because we have some standards of decency to know better than throwing stones from a glass house.
And assuming one more second that the rest of the world has the right to trash us, and we are denied the right to reply, does your pathetic insults still hold true? 90% of what is said here about Argentina are provable lies, and the other 9% are grotesque exaggerations and stererotyping.
If repeating such scurril makes you believe it will be true, one can understand why you all behave the way you do... but the sad part is it doens't.
And the more you people insist on portraying Argentina as beneath even the worst society on this planet, and a worse country than any that ever existed, the more you harden the young generation of Argentines to dislike any of you.
The question that remains is... what have you gained?
Free speech.
You do not seem to understand the basic premise of this forum. It is an English language discussion board. We are here to discuss the articles. We are free to express our opinion.
Apparently the conspiracy theorists are now suggesting that there was a plan for the frigate to try & leave port surreptitiously.
They go on to suggest that HMS Edinburgh, the Type 42 sent to replace HMS Dauntless (now returned to the UK) was diverted to the coast of Ghana & remained offshore for a while, until the Argentine Government decided against the escape plan & organised the return of the officer cadets.
They suggest that an MI6 officer called Horacio Verbitsky (?!) leaked the plan to intercept the frigate and force it to return to Tema.
The article is just too laughable for words, so you might care to have a quick guffaw at the Argies expense.
www.seprin.com/2012/11/12/confirmado-fue-una-operacion-de-inglaterra-y-sectores-de-ee-uu-la-incautacion-de-la-fragata-libertad/
It seems the latest Argentine tactic is to claim that they are the victim of a worldwide conspiracy that even involves Mitt Romney!
INFAMY, INFAMY - they've all got it in for me!
Many argentine posters here are wrongly under the believe that the UK is Broke/Bankrupt, when we are no where near going broke nor are we bankrupt. Argentina on the other hand is heading towards economic collapse. We have been warning you argentines on here for over a year.
“One has to question the sanity of every single Anti-Argentina poster here.”
Troll, nobody here is “anti-Argentina”, just anti-CFK, her corrupt government, and her propagandists, La Campora. Their agenda is anti-Falklands and anti-free speech.
We support the people of Argentina, the Workers and the Middle Classes, in their quest for an honest and responsible Government, from this day forward.
Good Luck Argentinians, we wish you the best!!
Of course, there are many intelligent Argentines that are free- thinking.
The fragata “isn't” worth a damn!
Time to get more “pragmatic” about solutions to poor governance.
@68 You're a faggot. Go on, admit it. You're a faggot. We know you're an argie. So you're a faggot. Do you understand? A faggot is an ass-licking, cock-sucking, receptive butt. In other words, an argie. You want to know why your “troops” lost in '82? It was because they were really “busy”, sucking each other's cocks and shagging each other's butts. Threesomes were nothing. More like hundred and threesomes. And the officers got the youngest. Fresh, ripe, receptive. Remember how argie “troops” crapped everywhere? What would you expect when they've been “stretched” and “bored”? Who gave us “rights”? We did. For over a thousand years. We didn't whine that life was “unfair”. We didn't whinge about being “picked on”. We stood up for ourselves. We didn't attack people who hadn't attacked us. We wanted to trade. When people attacked our traders, we fought back. But then the French and the Spanish were always enemies. Cowardly, degenerate, perverted sub-human animals. Haven't changed much!
For the most part, argies need to recognise certain truths. Most argies aren't human. At best, they are sub-human. Is there an argie that doesn't deserve death? No, there isn't. Are argies important in the world? No, they aren't. Being barely sub-human, they should live where they belong - zoos. Slaughtered for pig-feed whenever necessary.
@75 And where are they? Are they speaking? Are they doing? Or are they just thinking? I can “think” anything I like. I “think” that Nick Clegg is a traitor and should be shot. I “think” that the EU is a corrupt organisation and everyone involved with it should be executed. And what good does what “I think” do? Listen argies. Get up off your backsides and “act”. Not what we think you are? Prove it.
why dont CFK just pay the bloody money, and stop passing the buck,
or does she like being humiliated..
the “GUZZ” persona is now banned on MP. LOL
Argentina wants to negotiate to relieve the 44 crew and replace them with others.
Hmmm, who would they send ?? Any bet they're a little more, “trained”?
Pirat-Hunter (ALEX VARGAS) could finally do something for his country.
Oh, no. That's right, he would rather shoplift near home,' in support of Argentina'. It's safer there.
“Perhaps Cristina will now pick a quarrel with Denmark and Sweden on some trumped up issue.”
She could claim the Faeroe Islands from Denmark (after all, they are in the same ocean as Argentina) and the Gotland and Öland Islands from Sweden (after all, they are not in the same ocean as Argentina) and send the corvettes ARA Spiro and ARA Espora to conquer them - when the ships have been repaired in Africa. :) :)
Now we will see, it all comes down to this. Argentina MUST know that Ghana will just take no notice of the foot stamping and toy throwing. so are they going to just accept that the ship will have to be moved, or are they going to do something stupid?
Wonderful article but totally off radar. It seems that this government can dig itslef into holes and stay there on its own...it really does not need our help
You don't appear to understand how talk forums work.
When a poster has a complete meltdown like yours then everyone else gives a cheer and chalks up another victory.
Is it inconceivable to your mind that all the nations you listed take a dim view of Argentina because of.....wait for it.....(drum roll).........the statements and actions of the government of Argentina?
I have a plan for you!. you want that ship? of course you want this old ARG pride bathtub. so Just do what the Israelis did back in in the early sixties....
They have STOLEN (yes! stolen) thier missile boats from Cherbourg shipyard docks under the French authorities nose...!!!
Here the complete story and plan!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherbourg_Project
(P.S: I am afraid that this s hole might take me seriously)
While the Israelis may be able to carry off such an operation with aplomb I'd expect the Argentine navy to crash the Libertad into the dock within five minutes of setting off.
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