It was in May 1999 when the slightly built Motor tanker “Argun? steamed into Cape Town Harbour.
It brought with it a full bag of claims incurred from its voyagers, ranging from supply
claims in Singapore to crew claims from current and previous crew.
The vessel was of course arrested and stood its “ground? in Cape Town Harbour with various actions and applications occurring thereafter with no less than two Supreme
Court of Appeal decisions which eventually toppled owners into submission. The vessel was sold at a judicial sale on 18 August 2003 with the claims and adjudication procedure against the Fund coming to an end finally (after further litigation) on Friday, 12 May 2006 with a final payment from the Fund by the Registrar of the High Court.
A ground breaking decision by the Supreme Court of Appeal was the finding that
arresting creditors are liable to the Sheriff for securing the preservation costs of the vessel while under arrest. Dawson Edwards and Associates was the maritime law firm acting on behalf of the Sheriff of Cape Town.