The Cambodian Shipping Corp will reply on Friday to questions posed by a government committee investigating a drug haul discovered onboard a Cambodian-flagged ship, a police official said.
CSC Chairman Khek Sakara met with the committee at the Interior Ministry on Wednesday as part of an investigation into the Cambodian-registered freighter, the Winner, seized last month by French troops in the Atlantic Ocean with almost two tons of cocaine on board.
Interior Ministry Police General Sok Phal said the CSC chairman was asked to answer seven questions pertaining to the Winner case and other details regarding Cambodian ship registrations.
“Khek Sakara came himself. But he could not reply to all the questions because he did not have time to prepare all the documents,” Sok Phal said.
A second meeting was scheduled for Friday to allow the shipping company reply, he said.
The Singapore-based Cambodian Shipping Corp, which administers the Cambodian Ship Registry, has been at the center of criticism for providing ships with a Cambodian flag-of-convenience. Several recent maritime incidents involving Cambodian-registered ships and the discovery of drugs onboard the Winner prompted the government investigation and calls for reform of the registration process.
Khek Sakara said after the meeting that the committee asked questions about the workings of the CSC, the number of ships registered in Cambodia and documentation related to those registrations.
The discussion also centered on ways to improve Cambodian ship registration to avoid future problems, he said.
“We were talking about all the problems and trying to find ways to improve,” Khek Sakara said.
Khek Sakara said his company was committed to working with the government and international authorities to improve Cambodia’s shipping registry.
Such improvements could include de-registering some vessels, he said.
“We are discussing this with the government, including more conditions for ships registering under the Cambodian flag,” he said.
