Extra charges on Sharp
The National, Monday November 4th, 2013
By ELIZABETH VUVU
CAPTAIN Peter Sharp and six others implicated in the mv Rabaul Queen disaster will face 173 manslaughter charges instead of the original 162, police say.
Head of the police investigation team into the disaster, Chief Insp Ben Turi, said they revised the casualty figures upwards based on witness statements collected in the past three months.
The six are Capt Anthony Tsiau, chief mate Michael Zirau, Kimbe branch port manager Grace Amen, NMSA Rabaul manager Joseph Kabiu, National Maritime Safety Authority Kimbe manager Michael Benjamin Livinai and NMSA Madang manager, Carl Kamau.
They were charged by police in August.
Turi said police had filed the 11 extra counts with the Kokopo court
The seven are on K5,000 bail each.
Sharp, the owner of the Rabaul Shipping company, will appear for mention on Nov 14 in Kokopo with Tsiau, Zirau, Amen and Kabiu.
Kamau will appear before the Madang district court on November 28.
Livinai, according to West New Britain police commander Samson Siguyaru, appeared in the Kimbe district court for mention last Friday.
His case was adjourned to today because Livinai had to go to his medical review.
Sharp, 69, is facing 173 counts of manslaughter and for sending an unseaworthy vessel out to sea.
Tsiau, 54, from Nissan Island in Autonomous Region of Bougainville and Zirau, 47, from Manam Island in Madang face 173 manslaughter charges and for taking an unseaworthy vessel out to sea.
Amen from Duke of York, Livinai from Misima in Milne Bay, Kabiu from Rabaul, East New Britain, and Kamau from Turubu in East Sepik face 173 manslaughter charges.