Master of cable-cutting boxship appears in Hong Kong court
Newnew Polar Bear is thought to have damaged the Balticconnector gas pipeline in 2023
Prosecutors accused the master of failing to ensure the vessel had sufficient anchors and of not reporting daily to the ship’s owner
THE master of a China-owned containership thought to have damaged undersea infrastructure in 2023 has appeared in a Hong Kong court.
Wan Wenguo, from mainland China, has been charged with criminal damage and violations of two local marine bylaws, the South China Morning Post reported.
The Panama-flagged Newnew Polar Bear (IMO: 9313204) (then Hong Kong-flagged) is thought by Finnish police to be behind damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline that runs between Finland and Estonia, as well as a nearby telecoms cable.
Prosecutors accused Wan of breaching navigation safety protocols by failing to ensure the vessel had enough anchors, as well as not making daily reports to the vessel’s owner.
He will be remanded in custody until the next hearing, scheduled for early July, the Post reported.
Finnish police said its joint investigation into the incident with Estonian police is ongoing, with co-operation from Chinese authorities.
