The Lloyd’s List Podcast: The lingering scandal of Brillante Virtuoso
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The murder of David Mockett, the maritime surveyor at the heart of the Brillante Virtuoso scandal, continues to cast a long shadow over the shipping and insurance sectors. But for his wife and family who, 13 years after his death have never received payment or compensation, the case remains a daily reminder of the human tragedy behind one of the biggest marine insurance frauds in Lloyd’s of London history
Why has the marine insurance industry forgotten about Cynthia Mockett? That is the question at the heart of this week’s edition of the Lloyd’s List Podcast.
The widow of a UK marine surveyor and consultant murdered in Yemen 13 years ago in one of the biggest marine insurance frauds in Lloyd’s of London history is still fighting for compensation, as well as payment for the work that led to his death.
Cynthia Mockett, based in Plymouth, England, was the wife of Capt David Mockett, based in Aden, Yemen, until his death in July 2011, when a bomb placed in his car exploded.
Days earlier, Capt Mockett had inspected the 1992-built suezmax Brillante Virtuoso (IMO: 9014822), owned by Marios Iliopoulos, in waters outside Aden, after the suezmax tanker was set ablaze in a fake piracy attack meant to scuttle the ship to claim $77m in insurance money.
Capt Mockett had raised doubts that the fire was caused by pirates, with a UK coroner later finding his death was unlawful with evidence from a UK diplomat that the bombing was related to the insurance fraud.
“When David died, everything died with him,” Mrs Mockett said. “His pay packet and his pension disappeared. I’ve had nothing.”
