Sydney: Was the watchkeeper of the grounded Shen Neng 1 fast asleep as the bulker veered 15km off course and smashed into the Great Barrier Reef? That's what investigators from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) are trying to ascertain as they go about grilling the captain and first officer of the Shenzhen Energy Transport-controlled ship.
The AFP were called in yesterday by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. The AFP has the power to levy a fine and even ask a federal court to jail the ship's captain, Wang Jichang.
Australian media is rife with reports that the ship's watchkeeper had fallen asleep.
The 69,110 dwt, Shen Neng 1 ran aground on Douglas Shoal, east of Rockhampton near Great Keppel Island, on April 3, spilling a small amount of bunker fuel. [09/04/10]
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