Officers questioned over collision

Officers questioned over collision

SINGAPORE: Two navy officers went on trial on Monday for a collision between their patrol vessel and a Dutch container ship that killed four servicewomen in January.

Lt. Ng Keng Yong and Lt. Chua Chue Teng face charges of negligence causing death in connection with the accident between the RSS Courageous, a submarine hunter, and the 52,000-ton ANL Indonesia.

Ng, 27, was in charge of the ship at the time and was supervising Chua, 23, when the accident occurred just before midnight along Malaysia's southern coast.

Both have been suspended from the navy and wore civilian clothes in court. They could be imprisoned for up to two years if found guilty.

The ANL Indonesia's watch officer, Gerrit Easge Bosma, told the court that the Courageous behaved like a small fishing boat moments before the collision, moving erratically and veering directly into the path of the merchant ship. -- AP