Wellington -
The captain of a ferry that sank off Tonga last year, drowning 74 people, has been arrested and charged with knowingly sailing an unseaworthy vessel, news reports said Wednesday. Maka Tuputupu, skipper of the ship when it foundered on August 5, was arrested Tuesday night, New Zealand's TV3 channel reported from the Tongan capital Nuku'alofa.
Police also arrested a New Zealand man in connection with the procurement of the 37-year-old Princess Ashika ferry, charging him with forgery and using forged documents.
John Jonesse, chief executive of the Shipping Corporation of Polynesia at the time, bought the vessel in Fiji on behalf of the Tongan government two months before the accident.
A royal commission of inquiry which opened in Nuku'alofa in November was told that Fijian maritime inspectors had in 2008 described the ship as being in a "very despicable condition" with "uncontrollable corrosion" reaching a "conquering stage."
The inquiry was told the ship had been classed as a "smooth water" vessel and was not suitable for Tongan waters.
Most of those who drowned when the Princess Ashika went down were women and children. Twenty-five passengers and 28 crew were rescued.
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