Police serve statements

 AFTER much delay, witness statements from survivors were this week served by police on the seven people charged with various offences in relation to the mv Rabaul Queen ferry disaster.

Chief inspector of the investigation Ben Turi said files for Rabaul Shipping Company owner Captain Peter Sharp, Captain Anthony Tsiau, chief mate Michael Zirau and Kimbe branch port manager Grace Amen were served yesterday at the Rabaul Shipping premises.

He said files for the NMSA Rabaul manager Joseph Kabiu could not be served yesterday as he was out of the province. Kabiu would be served today.

Files for the NMSA Kimbe manager Michael Benjamin Livinai was served on Tuesday and NMSA Madang manager Carl Kamau on Monday.

The five in Rabaul are scheduled to appear for mention at the Kokopo District Court today and Livinai is set to appear for mention tomorrow at the Kimbe District Court. 

Kamau is scheduled to appear for mention at the Madang District Court on Nov 28.

The investigating team travelled from Lae, Morobe, to Kimbe on Tuesday, then continued on to Rabaul to serve the last lot of files.

Sharp, 69, is facing 162 counts of manslaughter and for sending an unseaworthy vessel out to sea.

Tsiau, 54 and from Nissan Island in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, and Zirau, 47, from Manam Island in Madang, face 162 manslaughter charges and taking an unseaworthy vessel out to sea.

Amen, from Duke of York, Livinai, from Misima in Miline Bay, Kabiu from Rabaul, East New Britain and Kamau, from Turubu in East Sepik, are all facing 162 manslaughter charges for their role in the ferry disaster.