Sunken Ship’s Captain Sentenced to 20 Months in Mauritian Jail
The MV Wakashio bulk carrier broke in two parts near Blue Bay Marine Park, Mauritius, in 2020.
Photographer: STRINGER/AFP/Getty Images
The captain and first officer of a dry bulk carrier, which triggered the biggest environmental disaster in Mauritius, have been sentenced to 20 months in prison in the Indian Ocean island nation.
Sunil Kumar Nandeshwar, the captain, and Subodha Tilakaratna, the first officer of the MV Wakashio were sentenced in the Intermediate Court of Mauritius on Monday. Both pleaded guilty on Dec. 20 to the charge of endangering safe navigation. Since the two men have been in police custody for almost 16 months and the guilty plea means leniency in the sentencing, the length of imprisonment are deemed to have been completed.