Correspondence
Email sent to the contact address for Good Team International.
The email said: "We have been looking into the case of a deckhand named Fadhil who died on board a vessel called the Wei Yu 18 on September 26, 2019. His family was later provided with a reconciliation letter that stated that he fell overboard, and Good Team International is listed at the top of that letter. We would like to ask a few questions about this case.
In September 2019, Fadhil fell ill, suffering from weight loss, weakness, thirst, inability to urinate, seizures, loss of appetite, vomiting, and swollen feet. When Fadhil asked the foreman to take him to shore, the foreman told him he could not. Although Fadhil’s contract had expired already, the foreman said he was required to stay for two years. On September 26, 2019, Fadhil passed away.
The captain returned to the ship two days after Fadhil’s death and ordered for him to be buried at sea. According to a deckhand named Yansel Lianus Saputra, the captain falsely stated that Fadhil’s parents had given permission to dispose of the body offshore. We have spoken to the parents, who said they never gave permission for Fadhil’s body to be buried at sea. The family reportedly received a death certificate and was promised money for life insurance and remaining wages, but had not received any money as of June 2020. In December 2019, Fakhrurrazi, an advocate from the Aceh People’s Advocacy Foundation (YARA) representing Fadhil’s family, met with representatives from PT Shafar Abadi, which provided a statement that confirmed that Fadhil died and the family signed a reconciliation letter that the manning agency said was for insurance reasons. The reconciliation letter had the name Good Team International on it. It stated that Fadhil died after falling overboard. However, we have photos showing Fadhil’s body being placed into a wooden coffin and disposed of at sea.
We would like to ask you a few questions about Fadhil’s death:
- Has Fadhil’s family been paid for the insurance that they’re owed and compensation for their loss in some form? If so, how much?
- Can you explain how Fadhil died? Who was culpable?
- Why did the reconciliation letter state that Fadhil died from falling overboard, not from illness?
- What were the conditions on board the ship that contributed to a widespread outbreak of illness over a short period of time?
- How was Good Team International involved in this case, if Fadhil was recruited by PT Shafar Abadi?"