How can the Italian government claim immunity from any legal proceedings for the cold blooded murder of two Indian fishermen on Wednesday off the Neendakara coast in Kerala while Indian sailors have been put into cruel ordeal for much lesser charges by various governments, asked maritime experts in Chennai.
A senior member of the faculty of the National Institute of Port Management in Chennai pointed out the case of Captain Glen Aroza of Mangalore who had to spent 18 months in a Taiwanese jail on frivolous charges.
"On April 17, 2009, MT Tosa, a Japanese ship, captained by Aroza was allegedly involved in a collision with a Taiwanese trawler. The trawler capsized and two fishermen went missing. The Taiwanese Coast Guard took into custody the ship MT Tosa and Captain Aroza on charges of crashing against the trawler," said the faculty who did not want his name to be quoted.
He said the incident took place 75 km off the Taiwanese coast which was international waters. Moreover all evidence proved that Captain Aroza was not on duty at the time of the alleged accident. “All records and documents proved that the ship Tosa did not make any physical contacts with the so-called trawler. Still, Captain Aroza had to spend 18 months in a Taiwan prison and no compassion was shown to him,” said the faculty.
The Mangalore-born Aroza was released only in October 2010 after the court absolved him of all charges.
