Ponte Ferries catamaran impounded
The catamaran used by the Malta-Sicily ferry operator Ponte Ferries was seized by a judge at the request of a shipping agent who is trying to collect debts of more than €100,000.
The vessel, HCS Artemishe was caught after Judge Toni Abela issued an arrest warrant last week following an application by shipping agent Focal Maritime Services Limited.
The Director of the Agency Godwin Xerri told the Court that his company owed almost €110,000 for services rendered since March.
The unpaid services included market studies she had carried out for Ponte Ferries as well as the use of tug boats during operations.
Judge Abela accepted the request signed by lawyers Jotham Scerri Diacono, Jan Rossi and Luisa Cassar Pullicino, who issued an arrest warrant on the vessel and ordered Transport Malta to ensure that it does not leave the berth. its at Wine Wharf in the Grand Harbour.
According to the Commercial Register of Malta, Ponte Ferries Ltd is owned by Ponte Investments Limited which has Magro Brothers Investments Limited and Merill Invest Limited listed as shareholders. The directors of Merill are Mario Muscat, Julian Zammit Tabona and Michael Zammit Tabona while its shareholders are MZT Services Limited, Raggio Investments Ltd and Shuttle Limited.
Magro Brothers Investments Limited has as shareholders Christian Magro, Nicolas Magro and Joanna Mercieca Magro.
Fortina Group has no shares in Ponte Ferries and not all Zammit Tabonas in the Fortina Group have an interest in Ponte Ferries Limited.
Ponte Ferries started operating its ferry service to Sicily in November last year.
At the end of last month, this announced that he was suspending it during the winter months.
Ponte said that it carried more than 32,000 passengers and 6,000 vehicles during the time it spent operating the route, and said that people “responded positively to the introduction of the competition between Malta and Sicily”.
Its reputation was tarnished early on, however, following incessant reports of delays and cancellations of a number of trips. The service has also faced legal challenges to its right to operate the route.
In June last year, Ponte Ferries announced the launch of its ferry crossings between Malta and Sicily, providing competition to the long-established operator Virtù Ferries.
However, she was forced to abandon her scheduled maiden voyage of 6 August 2021 at the eleventh hour because the Italian authorities had not yet issued her the necessary berthing permits.
This left many booked passengers stranded. Then the service resumed in November.
Last May his catamaran was detained by the Augusta port authorities, leaving a number of passengers stranded in Sicily for two days.
On September 21, she canceled the trip from Sicily after the passengers had already boarded.
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