Attorney Anthony Astaphan takes another swipe at UWP; this time over controversial Dominican registered vessel

​Attorney Anthony Astaphan says any debate over allegations that a Dominican registered ship was involved in a suspected breach of UN Security council sanctions with N. Korea must start with a decision 18 years ago by the former UWP led government.
Reuters news agency reported that a Dominican registered ship was spotted by a Japanese patrol plane tied to a North Korean flagged tanker which was black listed by the United nations last month for carrying banned cargo.
The two ships were spotted last Saturday night in the south china sea.
The government of Japan has made a report to the United Nations.

​Last December the UN security council unanimously imposed new sanctions on N. Korea for an intercontinental ballistic missile test.
Astaphan says government is not involved in the registration of ships and the current agreement with Dominica's maritime registry incorporation in the United States runs until 2029.

​Attorney Anthony Astaphan
 
Meantime, MP for the Marigot Constituency Lennox Linton has sought to defend The United Workers party from the recent claims made by Senior Counsel Anthony Astaphan.
 
In an international matter involving a Dominica-flagged ship, North Korea, and United Nations sanctions, Astaphan says the UWP was the administration who initiated the avenue in which Dominica is able to register ships.

​Additionally Astaphan says the government is not involved in the registration of ships, and it is an American Firm, headquartered in Washington DC, under the authority of a contract signed on the 1st of October 1999, and will expire on 30th of September 2029 

​Senior Counsel Anthony Astaphan.
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However Linton claims Dominica’s Maritime Act was amended by the DLP government, and therefore, the administration must accept responsibility for this incident.