The owner of Al Nisr Al Saudi ship, which has been hijacked by Somali pirates, said the insurance company had agreed to pay a ransom of $20 million to win the release of the ship and its 14-member crew — 13 Sri Lankans and a Greek.

Kamal Arri, manager of International Bunkering Company, said his company had received a preliminary approval from Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) to pay the ransom.

"We are now waiting for the Interior Ministry's approval," he told Arab News.

He requested Second Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Prince Naif to intervene in the matter to win the release of the ship and crew as quickly as possible.

According to Arab News, he said the insurance company's refusal to provide fuel could lead to the ship drifting powerless and possibly being damaged or sunk.

"Being the ship's owner, we have already sent a cable to the Interior Ministry to allow quick payment of ransom by the insurance company," he added.

Arri said the crew had been going through a difficult time after repeated warnings from the pirates that they would be killed if ransom was not paid.

Arri said his company suffered a loss of SR30 million as a result of the hijack, which took place in the Gulf of Aden five months ago while the ship was returning to Jeddah from Japan. The 5,136-tonne ship, on its maiden voyage, was not carrying any oil at the time of hijacking.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has asked the ship owner to explain the prolonged difficulties being faced by the ship's crew in the light of complaints lodged by Sri Lankan and Greek authorities.

Arri said he had contacted the IMO and informed them that efforts are being made to pay the ransom to win the release of the ship and crew.

He said the pirates were torturing the crew and forcing them to sleep on deck.

"The consulates of Sri Lanka and Greece have been contacting us, inquiring about the safety of crew members," he said.

Courtesy: Sunday Times Online