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