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Lanka may not press charges against maverick Indian ship's captain

The government may not press charges against the captain of a cargo ship that ignored orders to stay away from the shore, prompting the air force to bomb the vessel, diplomats said today.

Sri Lankan investigators are satisfied that the captain is not involved with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and see no reason to pursue the matter, said a government official.

The air force bombed and sank mv Princes Kash on Friday after it ignored orders to stay away form coastal areas where Tamil Tiger rebels are fighting government soldiers. Gunshots and missiles were fired from the ship.

The government accused Captain B N Karkera of conniving with the separatists.

But Indian ambassador Shiv Shankar Menon told the government there was no evidence to prove that the crew had links with the rebels or were trying to unload cargo to them.

The 17 Indian crew will be handed over to the Indian embassy in Colombo, said Harsha Gunawardene, spokesman of the Red Cross.

The ship was under the command of Tigers when shots were fired at naval vessels, an Indian diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

Ships must sail at least 80 km away from the shore in the north-east so that they cannot unload cargo to the rebels.

The ship, chartered by Sri Lankan company Goodwill Shipping, was sailing from Colombo to Point Pedro, the main port in the Jaffna peninsula, when it was hijacked by the Tigers off the coast of Mullaittivu, 290 km north-east of Colombo.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Anuruddha Ratwatte was quoted by the Daily News as saying the ship was sailing under a false name and it was actually the Belize-registered mv Sofia.

The ship was carrying cement, motorcycles, cars, tractors, bicycles and construction material.

UNI

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