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Russian Unionists accusing Bourbon in coupling with pirates

Seamen Union of Russia (SUR) in its latest Maritime Union Telegraph edition (No 7 (80) hinted that insiders in the Bourbon company could couple with pirates in the AHS Bourbon Liberty 249 hijack in Gulf of Guinea. 7 Russian and Estonian crew were kidnapped on Oct 15 and released after presumably, paying ransom to pirates, on Nov 1. From the very beginning of the story SUR vehemently criticized Bourbon, demanded the access to Russian Bourbon Branch in S-Petersburg and tried to meddle in the process, but was rejected on the sound grounds of being nobody either to Bourbon or to the kidnapped crew. SUR demanded from Bourbon to reveal the names of the hijacked seamen, apparently planning to get in touch with their relatives to coax them to nominate SUR as legal representative of the seamen and their families. SUR is an affiliate of the ITF, SUR doesn’t have an agreement with Bourbon’s Russian Branch, and maybe all of Bourbon doesn’t have agreement with ITF or any of its’ satellites, either. SUR tried to take advantage of the hijack as a chance to force Bourbon into agreement and providing SUR with an access to the talks and release process, to gain more publicity along with money the new agreement could bring to the unionists. Full story at http://www.odin.tc/news/read.asp?articleID=1571

7 kidnapped sailors freed in Nigeria

A French oil and gas services company says on Nov. 1, 2012 six Russian sailors and an Estonian kidnapped from one of its ships off the coast of Nigeria's oil delta have been freed. Paris-based Bourbon said in a statement Thursday that the men were freed in "good health" and would leave Nigeria in the coming days. More to read at http://rapsinews.com/news/20121018/265048080.html

No news on kidnapped 7 crew of AHT Bourbon Liberty 249, which is a good sign

News agency Xinhua reported Nigerian Navy statement on Oct 18, Navy said they tracked down the vessel and are preparing to release the vessel by force. Either Xinhua didn’t understand something, or most probably, Navy didn’t understand what they’re talking about, they’ve been simply putting on show and didn’t care what they said. AHT Bourbon Liberty 249 reached Onne port early in the morning Oct 17 and is docked there since then. Pirates attacked the vessel, took the hostages, including master and chief engineer, and then left the vessel, nobody hijacked AHT Bourbon Liberty 249 and didn’t intend to. Actually, pirates kidnapped all the foreigners among the crew, Maritime Bulletin was informed recently that pirates left behind the Nigerian crew members, and to sial the vessel to Onne from Pennington, Bourbon Offshore had to transfer to AHT Bourbon Liberty 249 master and chief engineer from AHT Bourbon Liberty 236. I’ve explained to Russian media the mistake or misunderstanding from Xinhua part, in several interviews, and later Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that there were no “locations” of the “hijacked” vessel, and that Russian officials don’t know where the kidnapped sailors are kept, and by whom. Full report at http://www.odin.tc/news/read.asp?articleID=1450