THE matter in relation to MV Taimareho incident at sea that claimed the lives of 27 people last April will return to the High Court on December 3.
This is for pre-trial conference.
The adjournment was made after the pre-trial conference scheduled for yesterday afternoon was not conducted.
The prosecution is seeking more time to sort out the pre-trial conference documents since the matter involved a lot of documents.
Twelve people comprises of the ship’s master, captains, shipping company’s directors and former general manager had denied the 102 charges that were laid under the Shipping Act 1998 are being charged for this incident.
They are, the ship’s Master Michael Roy Galo, Captains Joe Malepa and Stephen Waina’ai, WAC shipping Community Limited directors Esther Hoasihere, John Bosco Houanihau, Lawrence Hunumeme, Stephen Ma’ahanua, Aaron Oritaimae, William Papairato and Aloysius Poiohia and the shipping company’s former General Manager, Cypriano Ta’amora.
Some of the charges includes, sending an unsafe vessel to sea, vessels going to sea without valid certificates, taking an unsafe vessel to sea, failing to keep an official work book, failing to notify principles avail of change in condition of a vessel, failing to comply with a requirement of the international convention of standards, training, certification and watch keeping for sea farers, and overloading.
They were charged after 27 people on board the MV Taimareho lost their lives in extremely rough seas associated with Cyclone Harold in the early hours of April 3, last year.
The boat left Honiara with 738 passengers on Thursday night, April 2 last year when it encountered bad weather on the early hours on Friday.
Maritime had at that time issued warnings advising vessels not to travel to the provinces due to Cyclone Harold.
The government in March had also came up with a repatriation plan amid fears of the COVID-19 which saw a number of people in Honiara leaving for the provinces.
The 27 who lost their lives were swept overboard when giant waves swept through the ship in the early hours of April 3.
They are mostly high school students.
Only six bodies were recovered so far.
Prosecution alleged that all the accused persons had not complied with the shipping act and the Maritime Convention which led to the death of the 27 passengers.
They also alleged that there were many things wrong with the ship at that time and that the weather conditions were also not good on that day.
Private lawyer James Apaniai represents all accused except for Galo who is being represented by the Public Solicitor George Gray.
Public Prosecutor Samuel Tovosia and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Rachel Olutimayin are prosecuting.
The DPP’s office is prosecuting this matter on behalf of the Solomon Islands Maritime authority (SIMA).
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
Newsroom, Honiara
