The captain of the historic vessel Johanna, which grounded and sank last weekend before being quickly raised, underwent police questioning on Friday, several days after the accident. He was then given the status of “under suspicion” and faces possible charges.
“He is suspected of negligence in connection with the accident,” Ove Furseth, acting chief of the Follo Police Station, told news bureau NTB. “We have not decided whether any criminal charges will be filed.”
The captain was routinely tested for being under the influence of alcohol and results were negative. He’s been described as an experienced captain by the owner and operator of the Johanna, which was out on a dinner cruise on the Oslo Fjord when the vessel grounded with 156 people on board. All were rescued off the vessel before it sank along the northwestern coastline of the Nesodden peninsula, and no one was injured.
The police investigation into the accident was ongoing this week, and Furseth said other witnesses were being questioned. The vessel, built in 1892, has sailed on chartered tours of the Oslo Fjord since 1993 and was taken to a shipyard at Sjursøya in Oslo for repairs after being raised earlier last week. The Johanna is expected to resume sailing next year.
newsinenglish.no staff
