UK Club, insurer of the Ever Given vessel that ran aground in the Suez Canal in March, said in recent days that it had lodged an appeal with an Egyptian court over the detention of the vessel by authorities.
The Ever Given has been at anchor in a lake between two sections of the canal since it was dislodged on March 29 and is caught up in a legal dispute related to a $916 compensation claim filed by the SCA against the ship’s Japanese owner.
UK Club, the protection and indemnity (P&I) insurer of the Ever Given, said the move was necessary as it had not been possible to resolve the matter without the continued involvement of the Egyptian courts.
“The appeal against the arrest was made on several grounds, including the validity of the arrest obtained in respect of the cargo and the lack of supporting evidence for the (Suez Canal Authority’s) very significant claim,” he said.
The Suez Canal Authority said Sunday that investigations into the grounding of the Ever Given were continuing along with efforts to reach a settlement with the insurer and the shipowner.
UK Club said last week that the canal’s claim included $300 million for a “salvage premium” and $300 million for “loss of reputation.”
The hearing on the appeal will be held on May 4, it said.
Last week, the Suez Canal Authority allowed two members of the ship’s crew to return home to India, a move UK Club found encouraging.
