Exclusive – Al-Khabar Al-Yemeni:

Stephen Askins, the British expert in maritime security and partner at the law firm “Tatham,” has questioned the validity of a UN panel of experts’ report regarding allegations that Sana’a forces receive $180 million monthly as illegal fees for allowing ships to pass the Red Sea.

According to what was published by the “Yemen Echo” platform regarding a post on the “LinkedIn” platform this week, Askins described this claim as “exaggerated” and implausible, pointing out that if shipping companies were paying such large sums, it would have been discovered. Askins added, “I think I would have noticed, especially considering the legal, regulatory, and logistical difficulties associated with this type of transaction.”

The expert, who has previously advised shipowners whose vessels were targeted in the Red Sea, explained that when he was communicating with the Houthi-run Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center for safe passage permits, he never heard of any illegal payment of fees.

He noted that shipowners often make decisions not to sail due to security risks, leading to huge financial losses, but they don’t consider paying hefty sums to internationally banned parties.

Askins also questioned why this claim was included in the expert panel’s report, suggesting that the source relied upon by the committee may be a “single source” only, expressing doubts about the accuracy of this information, saying, “I can’t see how this could be true.”

This skepticism comes at a sensitive time as the UN continues to investigate maritime activities in the region amidst ongoing tensions in the Red Sea.