A grand jury in Seattle has indicted two transport corporations and two engineers for crimes associated to the unlawful discharge of oily wastewater from the Cyprus-flagged MV Gallia Graeca.

U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes introduced the indictment in opposition to the ship’s Panamanian operator, Angelakos (Hellas), and its proprietor, Gallia Greaca Shipping of Cyprus, in addition to engineers Konstantinos Chrysovergis and Tryfon Angelou. The two engineers are scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment on March 24, 2016.

According to the indictment, throughout a voyage from China to Seattle in October 2015, MV Gallia Graeca’s oil water separator was inoperable, ensuing within the accumulation of untreated oily water. On October 16, 26 and 27, 2015, the defendants operated the tools in a approach that bypassed safeguards that stop the discharge of oily water, ensuing within the discharge of greater than 5,000 gallons of contaminated water. The indictment additional alleges that the defendants hid these incidents from the Coast Guard by making false statements to inspectors, and making false statements and omissions within the ship’s report ebook. When Coast Guard inspectors requested the engineers to function the oil water separator throughout the inspection, the engineers did so in such a approach that the tools gave the impression to be working correctly despite the fact that it was not, the Justice Dept. stated.

The two engineers and the 2 corporations working the ship are charged with Falsification of Records in a Federal Investigation, which is punishable by as much as 20 years in jail, with Concealment of Material Information from the United States, which is punishable by as much as 10 years in jail, and with violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, which is punishable by as much as 5 years of imprisonment. Each rely of conviction can be punishable by a $500,000 superb.