The Bernhard Schulte group of companies has come on record to say that it is not in any way involved with the $4.3m legal claim that led to one of its supramax bulkers languishing under arrest in Singapore last week.
The 56,800-dwt Universal Bremen (built 2010) was seized by officials of the Sheriff of Singapore’s office late last Friday over a cargo claim from the Dubai branch of the National Bank of Fujairah (NBF).
“This is a cargo-related dispute and the issue is between charterers and sub-charterers,” the company’s shipmanagement subsidiary told TradeWinds in an email. No further comment was offered.
NBF filed a $4.3m cargo claim against the vessel in a legal action that was started in the High Court of Singapore last November. It is unclear why the bank had not taken legal action against the ship in the United Arab Emirates, and had instead waited for it to reach Singapore.
The Universal Bremen is listed in the IHS International Ships Register as being owned by Tulip Finance Corp, a single-ship entity registered in the Marshall Islands. Bernhard Schulte lists the ship on its website as part of its owned fleet, and it is operated out of Cyprus by Hanseatic Chartering.
Court officials in Singapore confirmed today that the vessel remained under arrest.
