Sweden drops TT-Line oil spill investigation
Swedish authorities dropped the criminal probe into TT-Line's 2023 oil spill, citing no link between ship deficiencies and the accident. The decision raises questions about corporate accountability for environmental disasters in Nordic waters.
Swedish prosecutors closed the criminal investigation into TT-Line's oil spill off Listerlandet. The ferry Marco Polo ran aground on October 22, 2023. About 60,000 liters of heavy fuel oil leaked into the Baltic Sea.
Two crew members already received convictions for their roles. A separate court case continues about a 1.2 million kronor water pollution fee.
The closed investigation focused on safety deficiencies aboard the vessel. Sea prosecutor Adrian Combier-Hogg said in a statement that the ship had problems serious enough to prevent departure. But he found no connection between those issues and the environmental disaster.
Listerlandet is a peninsula in southern Sweden's Blekinge archipelago. This region contains sensitive marine ecosystems. The case highlights challenges in prosecuting corporate environmental damage.
Prosecutors made a logical distinction between general safety failures and specific causes. This creates a concerning precedent for holding companies accountable when multiple factors contribute to disasters.