TONGA – The secretary of the Shipping Corporation of Polynesia Ltd., Lord Ramsey Dalgety, has been arrested after given evidence to a public enquiry into the sinking of the ferry Princess Ashika which sank on the 5th of August last year with the deaths of seventy four people.
Though Tongan police have refused to issue any statement on the arrest until Monday the speculation must be that Lord Dalgety is being held as culpable for the tragedy.
A report on the sinking by New Zealand's Transport Accident Investigation Commission has already described how the Princess Ashika on her last voyage was “…was literally driving itself under the water,” and concluded that the vessels sinking was inevitable due to poor repair.
This latest arrest follows those of the vessel’s captain for taking the ship to sea despite knowing it was unseaworthy and the company’s CEO on the grounds that he forged documents to purchase the vessel.
(pic: Royal New Zealand Navy)
