To be posted on the online platforms wherever “SEATIME Container Line Pvt. Ltd, Office Room No. 507, 5th Floor Caesars Tower Off Shahrah-e-Faisal, Karachi, Pakistan (hereinafter referred to as “SEATIME, Pakistan”) has posted & published highly defamatory, objectionable publications against M/s. Livro Shipping Pvt. Ltd. (India) & Livro Shipping LLC (Dubai), hereinafter collectively referred to as “Livro”.
The management, staff, vendors and well-wishers of Livro (India) & Livro (Dubai) are shocked and shaken to see the unmindful, false, defamatory and collusive accusations made by “SEATIME, Pakistan”, against Livro and their named persons. Livro (India) and Livro (Dubai) and their named persons vehemently and strongly deny all the accusations made by “SEATIME, Pakistan”, as the statements made in the publication are false and with malicious intentions.
While Livro is exploring all possible legal remedies (Criminal, Civil & Tortious), international & domestic, as an immediate response to the publication and in an attempt to explain the correct perspective to the vendors, well-wishers, general public and readers, the following brief factual background is given;
• There are no SOA dues from Livro (India & Dubai) to “SEATIME, Pakistan”,
• In our professional way of doing business, we have one SOA settlement on hold, that too because of a fraudulent and spam account number forwarded by M/s. ST LOGISTICS & TRADING SDN BHD, Letter Box -CP3-01, Level-3, No.-3, Menara City One Jalan Munshi, Abdullah, 50100, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (hereinafter referred to “ST Logistics”.
• Under the agency agreement with “ST Logistics”, Livro was asked to handle containers and settle the SOA in the name of “M/s. OVERSEAS LOGISTICS & TRADING COMPANY (hereinafter referred to as “Overseas”).
• As per the agreement between Livro & “ST Logistics”, the SOA’s remittances were made by Livro from India to the agreed bank account of “Overseas”, Malaysia.
• Since Livro identified a fraud from “Overseas”, wherein ‘Overseas’ asked Livro to make the remittances to another account of a Dubai Bank, we asked explanation/ clarification from “Overseas” before making the remittances.
• Livro’s bank (India) raised the remittance issues with the new bank account which was in the name of another company (ZAF Shipping Lines Agents LLC, Dubai). The said company- ZAF Shipping Lines Agents LLC, Dubai, was not part of the agency agreement with “ST Logistics”, however, Overseas has sent a mail with invoice and letters showing a “sister-concern” relationship with “Overseas” and ZAF Shipping. The screenshot of the said mail is given below.
• Later, Livro noticed that the email IDs demanding the remittances and follow-ups were made by “Overseas”, creating some fraudulent e-mail IDs and USA-originated phone numbers (WhatsApp).
• Instead of the original e-mails agreed to be used, i.e., finance@overseaslines.com & acc@overseaslines.com, in the month of July 2024, one Mr. N. Hamza of “Overseas” introduced a fresh e-mail through his mail, i.e, account-soa@overseaslines.com, to be used by Ms. Hamna Nasir of Overseas.
• Later, apart from the agreement mentioned e-mail ID, Ms. Hamna Nasir started demanding SOA settlement through another e-mail ID i.e.,
account-soa@oversaeslines.com. Thus, from the date of introduction of Ms. Hamna’s e-mail ID by Mr. Hamza of Overseas, a fraudulent e-mail ID was created by ‘Overseas’ in the name of account-soa@oversaeslines.com. , in which the highlighted letters were shuffled to defraud Livro.
• The screenshots of the original mail, with spam IDs from Ms. Hamna Nazir, the fraudulently created mail by Overseas and the WhatsApp conversations are given below in their order.
• Though Livro and its management tried to establish the said fraud, the management of “ST Logistics” and “Overseas” disregarded Livro’s, concern and was adamant about paying the money to an unverified account.
• It was in this background, alleging the non-payment of SOA, “Overseas” started holding EXIM shipments booked by Livro from India and Dubai. Thus, altogether, 20-plus shipments have been on hold at various ports in India and Dubai for months.
• In one such illegal holding of goods, the consignee in India (Mumbai) has even initiated legal proceedings against Overseas and their newly appointed Indian agent. The said case is numbered Spl. C. S. 198/2024 (Heritage Marble Pvt Ltd Vs. Overseas Logistics and Trading Company) which is pending adjudication before 2nd Jt. Civil Judge, Chief Judicial Magistrate, Belapur, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra.
The above being the true set of facts, the defamatory publications made by “SEATIME, Pakistan”, are completely false and have caused huge reputational, commercial, financial and brand value damage to Livro. As Livro, its promoters, management and its trusted employees and customers are extremely hurt, affected and lowered because of these publications, which are widely circulating in the market like wildfire, Livro will be taking strong civil and criminal actions against the culprits.
Apart from the potential to lower our reputation in the eyes of ordinary right-thinking members of trade and society, it has further exposed Livro to the contempt, operational blocks, and trade barriers and disparaged Livro in business, trade or profession.
It is stated that Livro has no information as to the grounds and basis on which “SEATIME, Pakistan”, has taken such kind of dramatic and drastic measures. We have no information or communication regarding any unresolved disputes between us and the publisher.
May it serve as primary demand notice from Livro to the publishers of such false and unverified publications of highly defamatory statements that have brought unimaginable damage to Livro as a brand, its Directors and its employees, especially those published with photographs of individuals, to withdraw such allegations and defamatory news, with apology published in public.
While we are planning to prosecute such criminal and defamatory acts of tarnishing messages circulating in the trade, we call upon “SEATIME, Pakistan”, and or its sister concerns for emergency response among the following actions;
I. Immediately send a message to the trade and trade associations (in particular to all undisclosed recipients of your referred mail, your branches, managers etc.), unconditionally calling back defamatory statements and publications made and apologizing for the error that has been committed and;
ii. Share copies of such emails/messages/letters from your end, stating apologies to all the undisclosed recipients and trade bodies, online platforms including NAFL, Linked-In, WhatsApp etc., as proof of your retraction/ immediate remedial measures taken to prevent collateral damage to our reputation;
iii. Conduct an internal investigation and find the people in your organization who have been trying to defraud Livro to secure remittance to unverified accounts, by creating fake e-mails and WhatsApp numbers.
Needless to say, all the rights of Livro to sue “SEATIME, Pakistan” and its Group companies are reserved.
