Ten Vietnamese sailors appeared in the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court - relating to kidnapping and piracy charges - where they were refused bail. The suspects appeared, under heavy police guard, before Magistrate Vusi Mhlanga on Thursday, 7 May 2009. They were not asked to plead and no charges were put to them. The sailors were arrested in the early hours of Tuesday, 5 May 2009 when members of the elite Special Task Force boarded a Taiwanese fishing vessel outside the Table Bay Harbour. Allegations are that the suspects were holding the vessel’s Skipper and First Officer hostage. The rescue drama started at 15:00 on 4 May 2009 when the South African Police Service was alerted that there was conflict on "Balena", a long-line fishing vessel. Further information filtered through that 10 of the 31 crew members had taken the Captain (Skipper) and his First Officer hostage and steering the ship. The mutineers demanded that the vessel go to the Table Bay Harbour. The First Officer was stabbed in the back, his left shoulder and upper lip. At 05:30 members of the Special Task Force boarded the hijacked vessel, freed the hostages and took the 10 crew members into custody. At the suspects’ court appearance, they were represented by Cape Town attorney Allan Goldberg, who was appointed by the Vietnamese Consulate. Adv Greg Wolmarans - from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) - appeared for the State, while the interpreter was Dr Li Kim. Adv Wolmarans told the court that there was evidence outstanding and that the investigators, detective captains Wayne van Tonder and Chris Rossouw of the Provincial Organised Crime Unit, needed more time. He said that one of the suspects was 17 years old and soon turning 18. Magistrate Mhlanga told the suspects: "I can’t give you bail at this stage. I’m postponing this case to 20 May 2009 for further investigation and bail information." Adv Wolmarans added that he planned to oppose bail at the suspects’ next court appearance.
|
