Merchant Shipping Act (Cap. 234), article 161

161. (1) Where a master of a Maltese ship leaves a seaman or an apprentice behind on shore at any place on the ground of his unfitness or inability to proceed to sea, he shall deliver in d uplicate to the officer giving the certificate required by this Act a fu ll and true account of the wages due to the seaman or apprentice. (2) The master shall pay the amount of wages due as aforesaid either to the seaman o r apprentice himself, or to the said offi cer. (3) Where payment is made to the shipping master or to a consular officer, that officer shall retain one duplicate of th e account delivered to him and, i f satisfied with the account, en dorse on the other duplicate a receipt for the payment and return it to the master, and the master shall deliver the duplicate within forty -eight hours of his return to his port of destination, if that port is in Malta, to the shipping master, and in any other case to the Maltese consular officer of that port. (4) If the master fails without reasonable cause to comply with this article or knowingly delive rs a false account, he shall fo r each offence be liable to a fine ( multa) not exceeding twenty units. Application of payments on account of wages. Amended by: I.2025.60.