Ten Vietnamese sailors have appeared under heavy police guard at the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court for alleged piracy and kidnapping charges. They were arrested by a police team on May 5 aboard the Taiwanese fishing vessel Balena outside Table Bay.
The exact circumstances of this alleged attempted 'piracy' remain very murky at the moment: Digital Journalist Chris Szabo in South Africa commented:
"I coincidentally had an interview with a navy spokesman this week, and we talked about this case. He explained that matters inside the 24 nautical mile limit are not legally "piracy", as this can only happen on the high seas. In other words, inside the limit, it's a police job, outside it's the navy's work and that would be piracy.I found that very interesting."
The (unnamed) 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 ten Vietnamese sailors were arrested in the early hours of Tuesday, 5 May 2009 when members of the elite SA Police Service's Special Task Force boarded the Taiwanese fishing vessel Balena outside the Table Bay Harbour.Allegations are that the suspects were allegedly holding the vessel’s captain and first officer hostage and that the latter had been stabbed in a 'piracy' attempt.
Captain, first officer taken hostage:
The rescue drama started at 15:00 on 4 May 2009 when South Africa's police service was alerted that there was conflict on the "Balena", a long-line fishing vessel.
Further information filtered through that 10 of the 31 crew members had taken the captain and his first officer hostage and had taken over steering the ship. The mutineers demanded that the vessel go to the Table Bay Harbour.The first officer was allegedly 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 - appeared for the State, while the interpreter was Dr Li Kim.
Adv Wolmarans told the court that there was evidence outstanding; that the investigators, detective captains Wayne van Tonder and Chris Rossouw of the Provincial Organised Crime Unit, needed more time.
He also noted that one of the (unnamed) 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.
see
