In violation of Sections 26 and 38 of the Marine Environment Pollution Authority (MEPA) Act, the captain, Sterio Ilias, pleaded guilty to two charges regarding the oil spill caused by the fire on board the ship last month that killed one seafarer and the failure to report the fire. The captain is permitted to leave the country upon paying the fine.

While east of Sri Lanka, the laden 20-year-old tanker suffered a boiler explosion in its engine room, triggering a massive salvage operation to douse the ship.

The vessel is now being towed to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, where it will discharge its cargo and inspect the chartered vessel for repairs.

New Shipping, the ship's master, has already paid a fine to the Sri Lankan authorities for the accident.

Maritime Business World