Lamma ferry crash crew may face charges of manslaughter
DPP seeks adjournment of public inquiry into collision in which 39 died to allow police to finish investigation and determine charges
Crew members of the two vessels in the deadly crash off Lamma Island on October 1 could face serious charges, including manslaughter, the chief prosecutor told a commission of inquiry yesterday as he applied to adjourn part of the hearing to next month.
Some victims' relatives questioned the necessity for the adjournment, saying they wanted answers as soon as possible to the cause of the collision, which claimed 39 lives in the city's worst sea disaster in 40 years.
The commission of inquiry appointed to investigate the causes of the accident began a preliminary hearing yesterday to review maritime safety conditions and to make recommendations for changes.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Kevin Zervos SC, applied to adjourn the part of the hearing dealing with evidence relating to the causes until mid-January to allow police more time to complete their investigations and to let the Department of Justice reach a decision on whether to charge the seven arrested crew members from the Lamma IV and Sea Smooth.
He said the police investigation and possible criminal trial, which might be heard before a jury, could be affected by the premature release of information into the public domain during the commission's hearings.