Crew Members Cooperating In Federal Investigation of Polluting Ship Granted Huge Monetary Awards

According to Associated Press, after a Greek shipping company was convicted for repeated dumping of waste oil into the ocean, and lying about it, three of its crewmembers are receiving upwards of $1 million for cooperating with federal authorities in the investigation. 

The company in question, Ionia Management, has been fined $4.9 million in 2007 and were convicted on 13 violation counts of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, as well as 3 counts of falsifying records, 1 count of obstruction of justice, and 1 count of conspiracy. 

Upon what is being called “crucial evidence” being provided by 3 of the crewmembers, Alexander Gueverra has been awarded $550,000 and Ricky Lalu and Dario Calubag have each been awarded $350,000.  Prosecutors supported the monetary awards by citing that employees who cooperate with these investigations and the government may be “blackballed” from the industry. 

Providing crew with these awards rewards crew members and provides an incentive for taking the risk to testify against their employing company.

Gueverra, an electrician on the ship, was actually the one who reported the pollution to the U.S. Coast Guard.  He reported that a motivation behind his report was based on a magazine article describing how crew members on ships had previously reaped rewards for disclosing such activity. 

In addition to the fines, the U.S. District Judge has forced the company to appoint a Special Master who will oversee record keeping and hold hearings twice a year to review their records.  According to their Senior company officials, they were not aware of and would not condone the intentional discharge of oil into the sea.