Court orders STO to pay more than Rf1m to Apollo Holdings

High Court has ruled that over Rf1 million is owed by State Trading Organisation (STO) to Apollo Holdings.

This ruling was issued last Sunday.

The case was appealed to High Court after Civil Court ruled that STO was not liable to pay for the damage caused to part of Thilafushi jetty, owned by Apollo Holdings, following an accident involving an Indonesian vessel for which STO was the agent, during the unloading of construction material in 2004.

Apollo Holdings sued STO to pay a sum of $96344.86 in damages.

The High Court ruling indicates that foreign vessels are required to be registered at Customs under a local shipping agent, and this registration requires the local agent to present a document which holds him responsible for all issues pertaining to the foreign vessel.

And as STO had presented the aforementioned document to Customs to register the Indonesian vessel, the law holds STO liable to pay the damages arising from the accident.