Trial over 'Gurita' ferry accident begins
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)