ARCHANGELSK, January 22. /TASS/. Alexander Matvienko, the master of the Russian bulk carrier Ivan Bobrov, will remain under arrest until February 1 and will be banned from entering Denmark for six years. Such a decision was made by the Danish court today, Commercial Director of Trans-NAO company — ship owner Svetlana Zelentsova told TASS on Friday.
"He was punished by 30 days of imprisonment. The term of his preliminary custodial restraint was credited as already discharged and the court decision was handed over to the deportation department of the state police. He will be probably deported to Russia on February 1. Furthermore, he will not be able to enter Denmark for six years," Zelentsova said.
The company has not decided yet whether to call Matvienko to disciplinary liability. The decision will be made after the general director meets the shipmaster.
The bulk carrier Ivan Bobrov (home port - the Russian northern port of Arkhangelsk) went from the British port of Ipswich to Latvia’s Riga to be loaded with sawn timber. Then the ship should have come back. In the morning of January 1 the cargo vessel was sailing past the Danish strait Oresund. The Danish TV 2 television said that the cargo ship had deviated from the course and was contacted by radio.
The Danish coastal rescue officers suspected that the crew might be drunk. Arriving at the ship, the police breath tested the nine crew members. The tests showed the master, his mate and ship’s engineer had concentration of alcohol in blood above the permitted limit for sailors according to Danish laws. The three crew members were arrested and the ship anchored at the Elsinore port. The mate and the ship’s engineer were later deported to Russia on January 21.
The new command staff arrived on January 7. The ship sailed away from the Danish port on January 9 and continued the halted voyage to Riga.