Information collected by an Israeli-founded private intelligence firm has revealed the identity of the owners of the Emerald, the tanker suspected of spilling massive amounts of oil off the Israeli coast in February, the Environmental Protection Ministry said Sunday.
The investigation by the firm Black Cube found that Emerald – which is registered in the Marshall Islands – is owned by a company called Emerald Marine LTD, reported Israeli media.
The information Black Cube gave the ministry indicated further that a company names Oryx Shipping has ownership over the Emerald. Oryx Shipping is registered in Piraeus, Greece, and owned by the Syrian Malah family.
Its ships are insured by The Islamic P&I Club, known as one of the only firms in the world willing to insure Iranian vessels.
The Malah group holds a number of shell companies in the Marshall Islands, Panama, and even one British company. All of these are registered to the same address in Piraeus.
In Lebanon, founder and manager of JUSTICIA, Paul Morcos told Asharq Al-Awsat that the source of the spill should be verified before Beirut resorts to legal action.
He said previous international oil spill cases offer compensation to countries whose shores have been affected.
Lebanon must pass a decree related to similar incidents before moving forward, he said.
He further revealed that JUSTICIA had prepared a bill to combat oil spill, in cooperation with the Lebanese Petroleum Administration.
