Trial over 'Gurita' ferry accident begins

JAKARTA (JP): A court in Aceh opened Tuesday the trial of one of the six people allegedly responsible for the Gurita ferry accident that killed more than 300 people in January, Antara reported.

Prosecutor Nuraini told the Banda Aceh District Court that the defendant, identified as AK, 50, should be held responsible for the death of 338 passengers on board the ferry, which sank on Jan. 19 in the Balohan waters near Indonesia's northernmost island of Weh, Sabang.

Nuraini said AK, the chief of the local office of the state- owned shipping company PT. ASDP, was responsible for the operation of the ferry, which was the main link between the Malahayati port in Banda Aceh and Weh island.

She accused AK of allowing the ferry to leave port in full knowledge that it was overloaded with passengers and goods.

AK is being charged under Article 359 of the Criminal Code for negligence that leads to other people's death. If proven guilty, AK could be punished with up to five years of imprisonment.

The 28.8-meter-long and 7.82-meter-wide ferry sank with 377 people on board and 78.207 tons of cargo while traveling from Banda Aceh to Sabang.

Only 55 bodies were found, with 283 others still missing. Thirty-nine passengers survived the disaster. The Gurita was the only ferry serving the route.

The ship had been designed to carry a maximum of 73 tons of cargo, 210 passengers and 17 crew. An extra 15 percent of weight, however, was allowed for busy seasons.

Represented by a team of lawyers from the O.C. Kaligis law firm, AK was the first official to stand trial in connection with the disaster. Three witnesses -- one survivor, one police officer and one from the ferry company -- gave their testimonies against the defendant Tuesday.

The trial of AS, the administrator of the Malahayati port, will start today.

Four other officials of the ferry company are also facing charges over the accident. A total of 38 witnesses, including survivors of the disaster, have been lined up by the prosecutors to testify against the defendants, Antara reported.

Presiding Judge Rapotan Harahap adjourned the trial of AK to Jan. 7, 1997. (08)