"The Justice Department brought charges against two companies operated by Synergy Marine Group in Singapore and the ship's superintendent, an Indian national. They're charged with conspiracy, not telling the Coast Guard of a known hazardous condition and providing false statements to the government during the investigation. Kelly Hayes, the U.S. attorney for Maryland, says the ship's operators knowingly used the wrong kind of pump to fuel the ship's generators, making it unable to restart after it lost power and crashed into the bridge, knocking a large section of the 1.6-mile span into the water."
"KELLY HAYES: Synergy employees, including its shoreside technical managers, fabricated and directed the fabrication of safety inspections and certifications related to vessel systems. MAUCIONE: The DOJ alleges the companies were aware of unsafe practices on at least three vessels, dating as far back as 2020. Synergy's also accused of violating the Clean Water and Oil Pollution Acts for contaminants that seeped into the Patapsco River."
"The corporations could be liable for $10 billion in fines. The DOJ's trying to extradite the superintendent from India. In a statement, Synergy says it will vigorously defend itself from what it called inaccurate allegations. Martin Davies, a maritime lawyer at Tulane University, says the indictment's complex because the defendants are all out of the country."
A federal grand jury indicted two companies operated by Synergy Marine Group in Singapore and the ship’s superintendent, an Indian national, following the 2024 Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore. Six people died when a cargo ship lost power and struck the bridge, causing a large section of the 1.6-mile span to fall into the water. The Justice Department charged conspiracy, failure to notify the Coast Guard of known hazardous conditions, and providing false statements during the investigation. Prosecutors allege the operators knowingly used the wrong type of pump for the ship’s generators, preventing restart after the power loss. The DOJ also alleges fabricated safety inspections and certifications, unsafe practices on multiple vessels since 2020, and violations of the Clean Water and Oil Pollution Acts. Potential corporate fines could reach $10 billion, and extradition efforts are underway for the superintendent from India.
Read at www.npr.org
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