Captain of cargo ship involved in collision given until Nov. 11 to testify
The captain of the Portuguese-flagged Maersk Launceston cargo ship that smashed into a Greek navy minesweeper outside the port of Piraeus earlier this week, has been given until November 11 to prepare his defense to a prosecutor.
The captain, an unnamed Polish national, is being accused of causing a wreck through negligence and violating international regulations for safety at sea. He has been granted temporary release and also an extension to prepare his defense, granted by a court in the port city of Piraeus on Thursday, the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA) reported.
The HS Kallisto was severely damaged in Tuesday’s collision, which occurred shortly after it left the Salamina navy base. Two crewmen also sustained minor injuries in the incident, which left the minesweeper unsalvageable.
The Piraeus Port Authority has requested that the court give it three months to conduct its investigation and compile a case file that will include reports by experts and data from the Marine Traffic global tracking system that will provide details of the two ships’ movements at the time of the incident, the ANA-MPA said.
The Maersk Launceston will be allowed to continue its journey after it has been inspected and given the all-clear.
