Police in northern
Cyprus have told the Kyrenia District Court that the voyage data recorder (VDR)
of the high-speed ferry Filo Jet contains no recordings from August 30,
the day the vessel sank off
Kyrenia. Police Assistant Superintendent Mehmet
Mannaş presented the findings at the twelfth hearing in the investigation on
Friday, November 13 He said the
examination and decoding of the recorder had been completed and that it had
also failed to record at other times. Experts are preparing a report on the 57
days of recordings that were reviewed.
At a hearing on October 9, police had said the recorder stopped
recording on August 28. The court
extended the police detention of all nine suspects by a further seven days over
objections from defence lawyers. The suspects are a company director, two
captains, two engineers and four other crewmembers, and they include the
vessel's captain and deputy. The
investigation concerns causing death through negligence and carelessness. The court also instructed police to obtain
the ferry's safety management system manual and muster list. It said the
documents would establish the duties, authority and responsibilities of those
detained or wanted, as well as the allocation of duties during
emergencies.
Filo Jet, owned by Filo Denizcilik, had departed Kyrenia
for Taşucu in Turkey with 259 passengers and eight crewmembers. She took on
water through her bow and sank while attempting to return to port. 27 bodies have been
recovered, and the search for one missing person continues.