It’s hard not to get excited about this incredible but true story: the story of a giant oil tanker (really giant: 5 times the size of the infamous Erika!), the Salem, which left the Malmö shipyards in Sweden ten years ago earlier.
In January 1980, leaving Kuwait for Europe under the flag of Liberia, the tanker was wrecked off the coast of Senegal. We obviously fear a terrible and gigantic oil spill.
But no, nothing. Nada. The tanker was empty: where had the 200,000 tonnes of oil worth around $50 million gone?!
« […] Too heavy to pass through the Suez Canal, the Salem begins the tour of Africa, to deliver its cargo to Europe. He will never succeed. Off the coast of Senegal, the engine room takes on water, short circuits cause a fire. The crew is forced to abandon the tanker which, devoured by flames, threatens to explode. »
Was it the scam of the century as we wanted to believe?
« […] The newspapers of the time were quick to call this affair the scam of the century. This eminent designation was undoubtedly exaggerated: with the advent of capitalism and the multiplication of trade, the 20th century was particularly fertile in scams. »
In this game of lying poker, there were no less than 13 investigations covering 25 different countries on 4 continents! A story of very big money which will highlight the means used to circumvent the embargo on oil deliveries to South Africa.
At the origin of this affair, a Lebanese-American: Fred Soudan. The author would have liked “want to make him the Arsène Lupine of history”. A Greek captain, Dimitrios Georgoulis, already wanted by the police for various embezzlements. The chief engineer is also Greek, Antonios Kalomiropoulos, and he knows machines and explosives well.
A Dutch trafficker, Antonin Reidel, who could well be the mastermind of the affair. The Tunisian crew, Wassim, Idris, Bilal, Onas,…, sailors with their beliefs, their stories and their superstitions.
The true-false diary of a Tunisian on board
Incidentally, we note that Pascal Janovjak is rather skilled with his pen: « […] Wassim is a boatswain but he also wants to take care of our souls. He only sees with one eye. The other is completely white, the pupil turned upwards. Perhaps this eye sees God, while the other eye watches us. »
Even if the story is reprehensible, we admit to having a hard time not taking the side of this team of thugs who had eyes bigger than their wallets: after all, money plague is not fatal and the bandits are not have taken away from other profiteers. Some have been imprisoned, the common sailors released but others are still running.
However, we had the impression that the author was hesitant about how to tell his story: the true-false diary of a Tunisian on board? The description of his own solitude as a writer confined in Italy? Or the report of the investigations? All this comes together rather skillfully but breaks the momentum of the epic a little and fails to really carry the reader into what could have been a real Hollywood scenario.
Between two stops, Pascal Janovjak reminds us of another scam which also amazed me when I read the book by the two journalists: the solo race in 1969 by Donald Crowhurst who never toured the world for the Golden Globe.
Another maritime hoax where there was no question of money (or very little) but which used the same trick of the double logbook.
