Vallianz clarifies rumours of salary payment delays to crew on Swiber vessel

VALLIANZ Holdings Limited, which is 25.15 per cent owned by the beleaguered Swiber Holdings, issued a clarification on Wednesday in response to an online post and e-mail being circulated on a delay in payment of salaries for the crew on the vessel Swiber Explorer.

It explained that the group has already made arrangements to settle outstanding salaries of the crew.

This vessel was originally owned by Swiber, but has been detained in Dubai.

Besides providing ship management services to this vessel, Vallianz also provides similar services for two other vessels - Swiber Navigator and Swiber Sandefjord - which are respectively owned by Swiber and Sentosa Offshore.

Swiber has come under judicial management while Sentosa Offshore has filed for liquidation on Sept 21. As a result, the ownership of the three vessels, currently anchored off Dubai, has been affected.

"Notwithstanding that, Vallianz has been working closely with the relevant parties to review the current status of the three vessels," it said.

"The group has transferred the payment of the salaries for the crew on board the Explorer and the Navigator up till August 2016 and the crew should receive the monies in their accounts within the next two days," it added.

"The group has also made arrangements to settle the outstanding salaries due to the crew on the Sandefjord for the month of August 2016 before the end of this week. All outstanding salaries to the crew of the three vessels for the month of September 2016 will also be settled by the end of this week."

Regulations in Dubai stipulate that a court application is required to repatriate or change the existing crew for detained vessels.