AN ex-champion racing driver who salvaged £32million of treasure from a shipwreck could lose the lot at court.
Ross Hyett, 67, recovered 2,364 silver bars from UK-made merchant ship the SS Tilawa — torpedoed in the Indian Ocean by the Japanese in 1942.
He got the 60-ton hoard back to Southampton, notifying the Receiver of Wreck.
The Admiralty Court ruled his firm, Argentum Exploration Ltd, should get a whopping salvage reward.
Judge Sir Nigel Teare said the silver — owned by South Africa and to be made into coins — had probably been “forgotten”.
He said it was a commercial cargo as it was on a merchant ship.
But South Africa objected last week, saying the silver was meant for use by its government. Their QC, Christopher Smith, said: “We own it.”
OS DESCOBRIMENTOS E O SEU COMÉRCIO MALDITO...EM QUE SÓ SÃO BONS AGORA ESTÁTUAS AO ESCRAVO COLONIZAÇÃO AFRICANA SALVADORA E PERDÕES DE DÍVIDA AOS OUTROS
