Duo charged, locked up
The National, Tuesday March 1st, 2016
OWNER of Rabaul Shipping Peter Sharp and captain of the mv Kimbe Queen Eugene Kaupao were charged and locked up at the Kokopo police station yesterday.
Police said the pair had to be kept in a room inside the station for their own safety.
Their arrest followed an incident in December when the passenger ferry ran aground on Elizabeth Reef near Talele Island, West of Rabaul, East New Britain.
Chief Sergeant Robert Wane, team leader of the Rabaul investigations, confirmed that Sharp and Kaupao, from Bougainville, were questioned at the NGI police headquarters at Ralum, Kokopo, and were charged after a two-week investigation involving police and National Maritime Safety Authority officers.
Sharp was charged with sending an unseaworthy ship out to sea while Kaupao was charged with taking an unseaworthy ship out to sea.
Wane said Sharp had was facing similar charges relating the sinking of mv Rabaul Queen in Feb 2012 when hundreds of lives were lost.
“Due to the seriousness of the offence, in accordance with the Bail Act, police bail was refused,” he said.
“Lawyer representing the suspects David Lidget tried to obtain the National Court bail for his clients.
“A third suspect in the mv Kimbe Queen saga who is in Madang would be arrested and charged soon.
“While it was fortunate that no lives were lost in this incident, the matter was still serious because the vessel was not worthy to be sent out to sea and it was also undermanned.”
At the time of the incident last December, mv Kimbe Queen was carrying 49 passengers and 12 crews.
Sharp is facing charges of manslaughter for the sinking of mv Rabaul Queen and is on K5000 bail with conditions.
The matter has been scheduled for trial in the National Court on April 12.
Sharp and Kaupao will appear for mention in the Kokopo district Court today.
The mv Kimbe Queen incident occurred in the early hours of Dec 23, 2015, when the vessel was travelling to Kimbe, West New Britain, from Rabaul
Meanwhile, the ship remained stuck on Elizabeth Reef at Lassul Bay in Gazelle district for more than a month.