The Department of Justice has finally filed criminal charges against the Singapore-based shipping companies responsible for the catastrophic collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The DOJ unsealed an indictment charging Synergy Marine Private Limited (the operator of the doomed MV Dali), its related entity Synergy Maritime Private Limited, and Indian national employee Karthik Nair Radhakrishnan with a staggering 18 counts, including conspiracy, violations of the Ports and Waterways Safety Act, safety violations, misconduct and neglect resulting in death, and obstruction of justice.
According to the charges, these foreign operators had been knowingly using unapproved pumps on Dali’s fuel system since at least 2020, a reckless cost-cutting move that caused repeated blackouts and power failures on the massive container ship.
The disaster also effectively shut down shipping traffic through the Port of Baltimore for weeks, disrupting supply chains and inflicting enormous economic damage.
What took so long?