Where the wages due to a seafarer left behind on the grounds of the seafarer's unfitness or inability to proceed to sea, are paid to and accepted by the Registrar of seafarers or proper officer, that officer shall deal with them in the following manner:

(a) where the seafarer subsequently obtains employment at or leaves the port at which the payment was made, the officer shall retain out of the money the expenses that the owner or master is by this Act required to defray, and pay the remainder to the seafarer and deliver to the seafarer an account of the money received and expended on the seafarer's behalf;

(b) where the seafarer dies before the seafarer's ship leaves the port, the officer shall deal with the money as part of the property of a deceased seafarer; or

(c) where the seafarer is sent to a proper return port at the public expense under this Act, the officer shall account for the money to the Director General, and

after retaining the expenses duly incurred in respect of the seafarer except the expenses that the owner, master or agent of the ship is required by this Act to defray, the money shall be dealt with as wages of the seafarer.