LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Earlier this evening the United
States flag merchant vessel M/V LIBERTY SUN and its crew, operated by American
shipping company Liberty Maritime Corporation of Lake Success, New York,
arrived safely in Mombasa, Kenya. The M/V LIBERTY SUN, carrying 20 U.S.
citizen crew members, was escorted to Mombasa by the United States Navy.
Philip J. Shapiro, Liberty's President and CEO, stated, "We are thankful that
our courageous crew and our ship have arrived safely and that no one was
injured in the attack that occurred yesterday. All of our crew members have
been in touch with their families to assure them of their safety. The Captain
and crew performed admirably in accordance with company policy and procedures
and executed the on-board anti-piracy and security plan to perfection."
The M/V LIBERTY SUN was on a voyage from Houston, Texas to Mombasa, Kenya
including a stop in Port Sudan when it was attacked by Somali pirates. The
vessel was delivering international humanitarian relief cargoes sponsored by
the U.S. Government under the Title II P.L. 480 program and was carrying
approximately 47,000 metric tons of U.S. farm produced food aid when it left
Houston, including bagged corn meal, corn soya, wheat flour, yellow peas and
lentils as well as vegetable oil in cartons. The cargoes will be distributed
to people in need in several African nations including Somalia by the UN World
Food Programme as well as several private voluntary organizations.
Mr. Shapiro also stated, "We again thank the United States Navy and the U.S.
Government for taking swift and decisive action in response to this attack."
SOURCE Liberty Maritime
Jamie Moser or Kelly Sullivan, both of Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
for Liberty Maritime, +1-212-355-4449
