Chapter 108
“I take a little,” said Christoforou, as he poured some brandy into his coffee and lit a cigarette. “These are now the luxuries for me – they are soon gone from my life – for a long time.....So, my story ? Yes, you are right, Mr Ashby – the second mate, he goes to the Marine Board. Ha, but he does not say the truth. He lies to save himself – he tries to frighten us – to frighten me, his Captain. He is a fool. What really happens – it is this way : when we sail from Cyprus, we take Aegean Star to a quiet, little island – the island of Pasos – where it is deserted – a volcanic island, south in the Kyklades. We leave our ship so no-one finds her. Then we launch lifeboats, we row away from the hiding-place for our ship. For two days, the current, it carries us across the open sea – but where we know we are picked up. One day, a ferry sees us, we say our ship hit a reef and she sinks very quickly. When we are back in Piraeus, Elefthriou, he tells the insurers Aegean Star goes down off Cyprus and we escape before she sinks. The water is too deep to see the wreck. After some months, I answer lots of questions from police, insurance men and Marine Board and I fill out forms. Then, after some more months, the insurers, they pay and we get our money. It is then that the mate complains. He says it’s not enough. He says he knows what Elefthriou and I get – he wants more – much more. I tell him ‘My friend, you get nothing – except this – if you don’t keep your mouth shut,’ and I show him my knife. He laughs in my face and goes to the Marine Board. When the Board ask questions, Elefthriou says, we must give the mate more money to go away. So we do. But what happens ? He throws it away on gambling. But then, so do I. But the mate, he tells the Marine Board only some of the truth. He doesn’t say we hid Aegean Star on Pasos and he doesn’t tell you, Mr Ashby. So, now and then, I went to the island and check on Aegean Star to make sure she is safely moored and no-one discovers where we left her. Also, Elefthriou is happy with our plan but Hellas Global and Hermes still are in much debt. They must make the big, big money. Then, Elefthriou gets out of shipping. So.....it’s thirsty work, this story telling. I hope the Inspector allows me some more of your brandy, Mr Ashby. Thank you, Inspector. Where was I.....we Greeks are seafarers and Greek captains and shipowners hear of the money-making schemes to get rich – these have risk and you must not get caught. One scheme everyone knows is to transport guns and weapons to countries with civil wars, where rebels fight their government. Elefthriou tells me we should do this but at the right moment with no suspicions. Now, everyone thinks Aegean Star sinks in April 1979. The next year, I find the old crew and the mate and Keo, our Chief Engineer. Together, we go back to Pasos where we leave the ship. She is in a very bad way. It takes us three months to get parts and fuel for her to sail again. Elefthriou lets us use his other ship, Captain Stratos to do this. By early 1980, Aegean Star has new paint and new name. Now, no-one recognises her. Then, Elefthriou meets arms traders and buys an old freighter – Marseillaise – very cheap from Nigerians, Benin Maritime. Benin know we smuggle guns but they don’t care. They are happy to get rid of Marseillaise. She is laid up in Freetown, Sierra Leone. When Elefthriou gets all the papers from Benin Maritime, Aegean Star becomes Marseillaise. I go to Freetown and see the owner of Benin Maritime. One day, we tow old Marseillaise out to sea, we sink her in deep water. Then, Keo and our old crew and I, we sail the new Marseillaise to rendezvous in western Med, usually off Algeria. We meet other freighters in middle of night and load crates of guns. We take them to many countries – Algeria, Mauritania, Namibia, Morocco.....some others. Sometimes we take them to deserted coastline. The rebels, they row out to meet us. Other times, we sail into port and unload them with our cargo. We are lucky. No-one checks our crates and no-one knows that Marseillaise is a ghost ship – the ghost of Aegean Star. Then later, it gets too hot for us. Marseillaise, she is falling apart. So.....at end of ‘80, the ship, she must be repaired. Elefthriou says we must fix the ship, further up the coast from Freetown in a deserted part of shoreline. We take the ship there, she is laid up for months and we do repairs ourselves. When this happens, the arms dealers become impatient – they pay Elefthriou for ten shipments and we do only eight. So, we must take his other ship, Captain Stratos. He says, we do more runs with Stratos, then finish. But he is greedy – with arms dealers, you don’t just walk away. When you work for them, they never let go. It is hard for them to find the shipowners and captains to smuggle guns. They threaten him – if we refuse shipments, it’s pfft – and me, too. In the end, we have no choice – we must use Captain Stratos for the making voyages round Med. Elefthriou keeps off arms traders but we think, if Hellas Global has no ships, then arms dealers cannot do anything. Captain Stratos is close to the end, she does not sail much longer. Elefthriou does the same con as Aegean Star. A different company but different ship – and different insurance. He says no-one sees how Hellas Global and Hermes are the same. He sets up companies so no-one can see shareholders. They disappear. Now, I think.....yes....it was March ‘80, I sail Captain Stratos with full cargo, Le Havre to Cadiz. South, off Portugal – Cape St Vincent, in middle of night, we meet freighter mid-ocean. We take on crates of guns and ammunition. At same place, we drop plenty oil drums over side. We make it look like Captain Stratos sank there. The wreck, she leaks the oil. When we finish transfer of crates, we steam further south, we stay close to coast of west Africa. Off coast of Morocco, we wait one or two days. Rough weather moves across Atlantic and hits Algarve. Then, one night, I send the distress signal – Captain Stratos, she is sinking, I ask for help from coastguard and any ships in same area. Immediately, we head south from Morocco to point off coast of Western Sahara. We have rendezvous with Polisario Front, they fight for the independence. When we see them, we row out in boats with the crates of guns, unload them on the beach then head further south to St Louis, Mauritania. At St Louis, we anchor offshore and wait to hear from Elefthriou. He tells Kikuna to sink Captain Stratos off Freetown. The crew and I must go to Lagos for the flight home. But I ignore him. I am angry. He cheats me of my share of money from arms dealers – and it is I who take the risks at sea. He doesn’t know but weeks before, I sell Captain Stratos to Benin Maritime, to Kikuna. I decide to keep the money for myself. Benin Maritime want a ship, we agree the same cover-up on the Stratos that we do on Aegean Star. I sail Captain Stratos to Freetown. For a few weeks, the crew and I do repairs, then we leave her there. Kikuna has cargo for Marseillaise – Aegean Star – but he cannot sail her. She is beached at Freetown and needs the repairs. The nearest shipyard where work can be done is Lagos. Kikuna says he sends a new captain and crew to Freetown and we will sail to Lagos together. At sea, I show the Captain and mate everything about Aegean Star, the steerings, engines, holds, where the bad rust, repairs he must fix. So, we reach Lagos, my crew get the bonuses, they leave after one, two days, they go back to Philippines. I stay to help Benin Maritime with repairs fixed in Lagos.”
“But you made one mistake, didn’t you ?” said Ashby. “You booked the hotel rooms in Lagos for you and the crew, two weeks before the Captain Stratos was supposed to have sunk.”
Ashby was cut short by the inspector. “Please, you must let the prisoner speak for himself. If you interrupt him one more time, I will have to send you outside.”
Christoforou deflected the admonishment. “Correct, Mr Ashby, you are right, it was mistake by me and stupid – and now I must pay. So.....I finish my story.....I stay in Lagos for one week, the repairs are done. Then I go back to Athens – ha, my passport is in other name – I tell Elefthriou I sell Captain Stratos, he panics. He says he makes claim on insurance with the LRE and your company, Mr Ashby. Hellas Global gets payments from P&I Club and cargo insurers – but – insurers for hull – Plantation – your company, Mr Ashby – they make the trouble. This is the excuse by Elefthriou not to pay me. He says we cannot finish until the claim for the hull is paid. Then, he tries to force the payment, he gets the lawyers in London. When that happens, he passes on the freight business for arms dealers to Benin Mari
time. Kikuna is happy to get this. And, Marseillaise takes the shipments of guns up and down west African coast. But for me, I have no money to live, so I work the ferries in Patra. A friend, a Captain helps me, he gives me the job. And here I am.”
“And that is everything you have to tell us ? You’ve left nothing out ?” asked the Inspector.
“No, that is all, there is nothing more” said the disgraced mariner as he finished the last of Ashby’s brandy and held his hands up in readiness to be cuffed again.
Plantation A Legal Thriller Page 108