The ordeal of 16 seamen who were dumped by their ship's new owners in Malta ended yesterday when the money they were owed was released by the court.

"The sailors are expected to return home in the next two days after they were paid their salaries and repatriation costs," lawyer Cedric Mifsud, who defended their interests, said.

Their ship, MV Nicea, was "arrested" in Malta after the original owners went bankrupt. On May 5, the ship was auctioned for €851,000 to MSK, a shipping company registered in the Marshall Islands.

According to Dr Mifsud the sailors were the only debtors to be paid their dues in full.

At one point, the crew risked sleeping on the streets after the new owners were not interested in taking them on board and also declined a separate request to pay their wages since May 5. The sailors left the ship and their lawyer arranged for accommodation at a Buġibba hotel.

The crew consisted of seven Bulgarians, a Georgian and seven Turks apart from the captain, Vladimir Motsalov, a Russian-born Estonian.

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