Plantation A Legal Thriller

by J M S Macfarlane

  Chapter 107

  “You have set the recorder ? You must not miss a thing I tell you. We begin then, yes ? So, for the British insurer, Mr Ashby, I speak in English. I sign the statement in Greek, later, after my lawyer reads it. Now.....for many years.....perhaps.....for twenty years, I was ship’s master, I commanded the Greek ships, sailing from port of Piraeus. Athens is my home.....I grow up there.....and my family. I go to sea as a boy – it is my profession. I work as sailor, then bo’sun, then mate. Finally, I am the Captain. I sail around the world many, many times – so many I cannot remember and I steer my ships through storms and the seas like mountains and typhoons. After twenty years, I look at myself one day in the mirror and I say : ‘What have you got after all these years at sea ? And your family ? And them ?’ And at this moment, I decide – I want more.....Ha, there are ways to get easy money on the sea – but all dishonest. So, I must be sure no-one will catch me. There are the ways of thieving, stealing, tricks, the con-games with shipping. I am a seafarer, I know them all but always, I refuse. For years, I think – the price, ha, it is too high but then I hear, some Captains make much money, they leave the sea for good. But I am not young, my children are now big so finally, I think, Constantine my friend – enough. I will take this risk. And, it’s not just me, I am not the only one thinks this way. Some shipowners, I know they are in big trouble. Sometimes, they make a big loss from the charterparties and the freighting to other countries or they gamble or take the bad investment. They must do something very quick to save their company or they, how you say, they go bang, their company, she explodes and pfft....no more ships. Hellas Global, he is one. Hermes Transnational Shipping, he is another. I see clear before me – it is not long and these companies go pfft. So, one day, I am back from my voyage to Cyprus, I speak with the shipowner, Vratsis Elefthriou. At that time, he is always worrying. He is always this far,” indicating with thumb and forefinger together, “this far from the bankrupt. I say him very quietly, ‘You have the problems ? Yes ? I know. You cannot hide these from me. I see what happens to you. But what you do ? You must do something – soon – or everything you have – she goes down drain.’ He knows I am right. I am not the only one who says this to him. Each week, his situation is worse – so later, he sends me message and we speak in taverna. He says he also owns much of Hermes – he has a scheme – we will make the big money. Before, there are other owners of Hermes but they are all dead or gone. Now.....Hermes has an old cargo carrier – Aegean Star. She is near the end but surveyors say she is ok for few more voyages. Elefthriou says he has many insurances for Aegean Star – for hull and machinery with the LRE, for master and crew with the P&I Club and for cargo, also with the LRE. Together, they will pay almost fifteen million British pounds. He tells me – sail the ship to Nicosia, we unload the cargo – machinery and crates – then we go back empty. Before we go, I get crew – they are ten men. These men, I know for sure, they keep their mouths shut if they get good money. They say nothing – except one. One of them betrays us.”

  “I know who you mean,” said Ashby, “the mate who went to the Board of Enquiry.”

  “Please. Do not interrupt him, let him continue,” ordered one of the detectives.