- The United States Treasury Department has reportedly sanctioned another Liberian registered maritime company.
- This latest action has added to the U.S. Iran-Related Designation List released recently.
A recent news article published in the GNN Liberia states that U.S. Treasury Sanctions Liberian Registered Maritime Company.
Data from African Star
According to data seen by African Star from the U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Control Assets (OFAC), the Bravery Maritime Corporation, also known as Bravery Maritime Corp based in DUBAI but registered in Liberia was added to the list of Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) and subjected to Secondary Sanctions related to Iran.
The Bravery Maritime Corporation is linked to one Al Hasbsi, Mahmood Rashid Amur).
Under the Treasury Department’s Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations, and specifically as it relates to the action against the Liberia registered company which is associated with Al Hasbi, Mahmood Rashid Amurt, prohibition in the sanctions are directed at, Foreign persons listed in the Annex to Executive Order 13224 of September 23, 2001, as may be amended;
(2) Foreign persons determined by the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General, to have committed, or to pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States;
In order to continue doing any business with the sanctioned company or individuals associated with the company, a license is required from the U.S. Treasury or civil and criminal penalties may be imposed under Federal law.
List of Liberian registered companies
The U.S. Office of Foreign Control Assets (OFAC) currently list the following Liberian registered companies and nationals under sanctions:
Ballito Bay Shipping Incorporated (Venezuela related sanctions)
Blue Tanker Shipping SA (Iran related sanctions)
Dolphin Trading Company Limited (Specially Designated Global Terrorist related sanctions)
Garbin Navigation Limited (Iran related sanctions)
Golden Fish Liberia Limited (Specially Designated Global Terrorist related sanctions)
Hercules International Ship (Iran related sanctions)
Hermis Shipping SA (Iran related sanctions)
Jennifer Navigation Limited (Venezuela related U.S. Executive Order sanctions)
Prince Yormie Johnson (Global Magnitsky Designation)
Jupiter Seaways Shipping (Iran related sanctions)
Konig Marine Corp (Iran related sanctions)
Large Range Limited (Venezuela related U.S. Executive Order sanctions)
Harry Varney Gboto-Nambi Sherman (Global Magnitsky Designation)
Sky Trade Company (Specially Designated Global Terrorist related sanctions)
Lucrative Liberia ship registry
It remains unclear if the government’s Liberia Maritime Authority (LMA) and the Liberia International Ship and Corporate Registry(LISCR, LLC, a private U.S. owned and operated company which administers the lucrative Liberia ship registry, are aware of the sanctions or working to disconnect from the U.S. sanctioned companies registered in Liberia.
An international maritime analyst in London dismissed suggestions that the Liberian Government is unaware of the sanction regime against companies registered in the country.
Under contractual agreement, fees collected from Liberian registered maritime and shipping companies in the Liberian Registry are regularly remitted to the Government of Liberia.
Significant corruption highlighted
Senators Harry Varney Gboto-Nambi Sherman and Prince Yormie Johnson were each sanctioned and accused by the U.S. Government of involvement in significant corruption.
Weak regulatory oversight systems and lack of technical capacity in Liberia coupled with incompetence and pervasive corruption continue to plague governance in the West African country.
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Source: GNLiberia
