Sofia, Jan 11, 2019 – Prosecutors in Bulgaria on Friday opened an investigation into the alleged illegal sale of a Libyan oil tanker, after Libya ordered the seizure of Bulgarian ships entering its ports in retaliation. The probe followed a protest by lawyers acting for the state-owned Libyan General National Maritime Transport Company, which owns the “Badr” vessel, the statement added. The company claiming the debt had asked for the tanker to be sold, but the sale was stopped by the regional court in Burgas. The case sparked an angry reaction from Libya when in December the ship’s Libyan captain and 20 other Indian crew members were forced out by the new owner. The tanker then left Bulgaria’s territorial waters with a new crew, the name Bdin, and under a Panamanian flag.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 11, 2019 15:11 UTC