Zanzibar. Four people including one of the owners, plus the captain of the ill fated ferryboat that capsized last week in the choppy Indian Ocean waters, were charged yesterday in a Zanzibar court with causing deaths of more than 200 people through negligence.The accused were quietly arraigned before the Registrar of the High Court Mr George Kazi at around 1pm but were not required to enter any plea on the joint charge against them.The first accused and ferry captain, identified as Mr Said Abdallah Kinyanyite, 58, was, however, charged in absentia as he had been at large since the disaster occurred.
Director of Public Prosecution Ramadhan Nassib told the court that the police were still on a manhunt for Captain Kinyanyite, whose vessel MV Spice Islander 1 went under, off the Nungwi village coastline on the fateful Friday night.
Others in the charge sheet were Mr Yusuf Suleiman Jussa, 47, reported as among the shareholder of the vessel, the first officer who assists the captain, Mr Abdallah Mohamed Ali, 30, and an official of the Zanzibar Ports Authority in charge of passenger inspection, Mr Silima Nyange Silima, 27.
Director of Public Prosecution Ramadhan Nassib told the court that the police were still on a manhunt for Captain Kinyanyite, whose vessel MV Spice Islander 1 went under, off the Nungwi village coastline on the fateful Friday night.
Others in the charge sheet were Mr Yusuf Suleiman Jussa, 47, reported as among the shareholder of the vessel, the first officer who assists the captain, Mr Abdallah Mohamed Ali, 30, and an official of the Zanzibar Ports Authority in charge of passenger inspection, Mr Silima Nyange Silima, 27.
They were driven in a police Land Rover to the court under tight security from Malindi remand prison where they were being held. Mr Nassib said the suspects’ negligence led to the sinking of the ferryboat and drowning of 203 men, women and children.
During the disaster, 619 people were rescued while hundreds more remain listed as missing persons by relatives, mainly in Pemba, where the ship was headed.
Mr Kazi who is empowered to preside over such a plea according to the law in the Isles sent the accused back to remand prison until Monday when their case, Number 18 of 2011, would be mentioned. The Registrar denied all the accused bail as applied by their advocate Mr Hamid Mbwezeleni, saying the case was sensitive and would be unwise to rush the decision.
Mr Mbwezeleni had argued unsuccessfully that his clients deserved bail considering the nature of the charge brought against them. A small group of relatives gathered at the court to get a glimpse of the unfolding case and conversed in hushed tones when their loved ones were being led away to the remand prison. A decision whether to grant bail will be determined on Monday.
According to the DPP, the accused allowed overloading of the ferryboat that is said to have carried more than double its capacity of 600 passengers and cargo. It sunk at 2am Saturday, less than three hours of sailing from Unguja to Pemba.
The arraignment of the four came only a day after the government of Zanzibar, through the Second Vice President Ambassador, Seif Iddi, announced on Thursday it had called off the search for more bodies along the vast coastline.
The government also said efforts to retrieve more bodies from the submerged ship believed to be lying more than 250 metres deep have been called off due to lack of suitable equipment.
South African divers who had been called in to help were set to leave for their country this weekend.
During the disaster, 619 people were rescued while hundreds more remain listed as missing persons by relatives, mainly in Pemba, where the ship was headed.
Mr Kazi who is empowered to preside over such a plea according to the law in the Isles sent the accused back to remand prison until Monday when their case, Number 18 of 2011, would be mentioned. The Registrar denied all the accused bail as applied by their advocate Mr Hamid Mbwezeleni, saying the case was sensitive and would be unwise to rush the decision.
Mr Mbwezeleni had argued unsuccessfully that his clients deserved bail considering the nature of the charge brought against them. A small group of relatives gathered at the court to get a glimpse of the unfolding case and conversed in hushed tones when their loved ones were being led away to the remand prison. A decision whether to grant bail will be determined on Monday.
According to the DPP, the accused allowed overloading of the ferryboat that is said to have carried more than double its capacity of 600 passengers and cargo. It sunk at 2am Saturday, less than three hours of sailing from Unguja to Pemba.
The arraignment of the four came only a day after the government of Zanzibar, through the Second Vice President Ambassador, Seif Iddi, announced on Thursday it had called off the search for more bodies along the vast coastline.
The government also said efforts to retrieve more bodies from the submerged ship believed to be lying more than 250 metres deep have been called off due to lack of suitable equipment.
South African divers who had been called in to help were set to leave for their country this weekend.
Source The Citizen
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