A US grand jury has indicted Germany's MST Mineralien Schiffahrt Spedition und Transport on charges that it falsified records to cover up oily discharges from a ship.

The charges against the shipmanager and the registered owner of the 27,700-dwt slurry carrier Marguerita (built 2016) were lodged in a federal court in Portland, Maine.

They allege violations of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships and falsification of records with the attempt to impede US Coast Guard examinations.