More Africans dumped: paper

Press, 25 May 1984, Page 6

More Africans dumped: paper

NZPA-AFP Athens The Greek master of a Cypriot freighter, the Valani, had abandoned four African stowaways off the coast of the Congo in January this year, the Greek newspaper, “Ta Nea,” reported yesterday. The report came after recent revelations of 11 Kenyan stowaways’ being thrown overboard'from the Greek vessel the Garifalia, and subsequent assertions that there have been other, similar instances by Greek ships’ masters. “Ta Nea” said that the master of the Valani, Captain Thomas Athanassias, had put the four overboard on January 30 with just a life-raft, some food, and some distress flares.

The case had been brought to the attention of the Greek diplomatic authorities at the end of February by the vessel’s first and second engineer when she called at Barcelona, the newspaper said. On Monday the secretary-

general of the Kenyan Sea-

men’s Union said that there had been other cases like that of the Garifalia, which had caused widespread outrage. A four-member Kenyan delegation, including the seamen’s union leader, Abdallah Mwaruwa, has arrived in Athens to follow developments in the Garifalia affair. Mr Mwaruwa said that there had been two other instances. Five other Kenyans had been put overboard by Greek masters in the last five years, he said, but gave no details of dates or the names of the vessels concerned. The Kenyan delegation, led by the Solicitor-General, Mr Teddy Aswani, said it was satisfied with the way the Greek authorities were handling the affair. The Greek Merchant Navy Minister, Mr Georges Katsifaras, spoke of his deep emotion” over the matter and promised the delegation that "severe penalties” would be meted out to those responsible.