Cargo ship's chief engineer indicted in oil sludge spill
The chief engineer aboard an international cargo ship has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly rigging a device to pump untreated oil sludge into the ocean and then lying about it to investigators.
Mani Singh, chief engineer of the 31,000-ton cargo ship MSC Elena, could face up to 40 years in prison if convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, making false statements, destroying evidence, and violating an international antipollution act, federal prosecutors said yesterday.
He was one of nine Indian men taken into custody in May when Coast Guard investigators from Boston discovered the device during an inspection conducted in Boston Harbor. The other men have not been charged. Several provided evidence against Singh.
According to the indictment, Singh, 57, falsified oil discharge records and lied to Coast Guard officials about the device, which he dubbed the ''magic pipe." He also instructed junior officers to lie and told one subordinate to ''stick with what you have said" and not reveal anything about the pipe when questioned by investigators, the indictment said.
The oily compounds generated by ship engines are supposed to be treated before they are discharged. According to the indictment, the device bypassed the treatment process and dumped untreated sludge into the ocean.
Engineers also are required to log all waste dumps, which prosecutors said Singh failed to do.
There is no telling how much sludge the Elena discharged, prosecutors said, but the indictment alleged discharges were made ''routinely" at various times and places, which were not detailed in the charges.
Singh's lawyer, Joshua Levy, declined to comment. 