The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) in a press statement on Thursday said five of the six oil tankers bearing the Golden Arrowhead and sanctioned by the United States Government are not registered in Guyana and as such, they are false and fraudulent registrations.
Within the last three weeks six ships with Guyana flags with links to Syria, Iran and Venezuela were sanctioned by the United States Treasury Department.
The statement said, Guyana, through MARAD, operates a closed registry, meaning that the registration of vessels under the Guyana Flag is limited to ships by Guyanese nations, residents, citizens of CARICO, and corporate bodies established under the laws of Guyana. None of the purported owners falls into any of the mentioned categories, the Maritime Administration said.
According to MARAD, since 2021, incidences of false Guyana registrations have come to the fore. The perpetrators of this fraud have targeted several countries including Guyana, Panama, and regional states. MARAD said together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs they continue to share information on these false registrations which come into its possession with all United Nations member states and regional and international maritime associations.
MARAD said the sanctions applied by the United States, United Kingdom and other western states are part of the said response to threats posed by these false registrations.
The Government of Guyana, the statement said, was making it pellucid that there is no sinister plot afoot to operate or have a separate registry and Guyana does not, has not and will not offer a flag to convenience for vessels. In this regard continued efforts will be made to protect the sovereignty and integrity of Guyana.
MARAD has when this latest investigation was conducted or who may be the perpetrator behind the alleged fraudulent registrations.