Seoul: The Appeal Court of the Daejeon District Court 1st Criminal Division in Korea, has found the senior officers of the Hebei Spirit not guilty of the crime of destruction of property, following Korea's Supreme Court ruling that the two should never have been imprisoned.
The case was referred back to the Appellate Division of the District Court on April 23 of this year by the Supreme Court, for further review when they found that the two officers could not be jailed as they were not responsible for the destruction of property, the only crime carrying a custodial sentence.
The verdict will enable the two senior officers of the Hebei Spirit to return to their families in India after more than 550 days of an enforced stay in Korea, some spent in prison.
While the verdict enables the two officers to return home, the charges of causing pollution still stand and V.Ships, which manages the Hebei Spirit, is determined to work towards having these charges removed from the officers' records. [12/06/09]
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