The captain of a Hong Kong-registered ship alleged to have damaged undersea cables in the Baltic Sea was assigned a lawyer in a Hong Kong court on Friday, with the case adjourned
The captain of a Hong Kong-registered ship alleged to have damaged undersea cables in the Baltic Sea was assigned a lawyer in a Hong Kong court on Friday, with the case adjourned until September to allow the prosecution to gather more evidence.
Wan Wenguo, the captain of the container ship NewNew Polar Bear, appeared in Hong Kong's Eastern magistrates' court without legal representation so was assigned a duty lawyer by the court.
The 43-year-old Chinese national is alleged to have caused "criminal damage" to an underwater natural gas pipeline and submarine telecom cables between Finland and Estonia on October 8, 2023, according to a Hong Kong charge sheet seen by Reuters.
The document added the defendant "without lawful excuse damaged the property belonging to another" and that he had been "reckless as to whether such property would be damaged."
The magistrate adjourned the case for three months until September 26, after the prosecution said it required time to gather documents and other evidence from Finnish and Estonian authorities.
Wan also faces two other charges for alleged violations of shipping rules including the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea. During Wan's first hearing in May after his arrest, he
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