By Grace Q. Bryant
Two Nigerians accused of attacking a Chinese fishing vessel (Shengai-2) on the Sierra Leone waters yesterday, August 10, 2023, were forwarded to the Monrovia City Court for prosecution, on the crimes Criminal Conspiracy, Piracy, Armed Robbery and Theft of Property.
The two men, Titus Ezenna and Michael Oputa, were later sent to the Monrovia Central Prison, as the crimes of which they were accused do not entail bail.
According to the police charge sheet, the crimes which they violated were of Chapter 10 and 15, Section 10.4, Sub. Chapter-C, Section 15.31, Section 15.32 and Section 15.51 of the revised Penal code of the Republic of Liberia.
The charge sheet narrated that Li Tian Guo and other crew members, including six Chinese and seventeen (17) Sierra Leoneans, on Saturday July 22, at 10am, were aboard their fishing vessel (Shengai-2), fishing on the Sierra Leonean water where they normally do their fishing, when a small speed boat with some unknown men, armed with weapons (pistols and rifles), came straight to their vessel and started firing, boarded their vessel, fired several rounds, put them under gun point, searched all of the crew members onboard the vessel, as well as the entire vessel itself, and took away properties and cash, but the Liberia Coast Guard responded and managed to arrest two suspects, rescued the victims and brought them to the Liberia Coast Guard Base in Monrovia.
According the police, the defendants who were arrested in connection to the crimes were informed of their Miranda Rights, during which time they were represented by their Legal Counsel, in person of Cllr. Sennay Carlor.
During police investigation conducted, the defendants admitted to the commission of the crimes and told the investigation that they were seven that did the act on the Shenghai-2 vessel.
The defendants also told the investigation that when the Liberia Coast Guard responded, their colleagues fired at the Liberia Coast Guard, during which time the Liberia Coast Guard returned fire, but their colleagues managed to escape while the two of them were arrested by the Coast Guard.
The police maintained that statements were obtained from the victims and defendants, as well as photographs taken, as part of the investigation formalities.
The investigation also established that after the group of unknown men who were armed with rifles, pistols, and other deadly weapons attacked the Shenghai-2 vessel on the Sierra Leonean Water and forcibly took the crew members properties including cash, they took full control of the vessel and headed towards the Liberian Territorial Waters, at which time the Liberian Coast Guard of the Armed Forces of Liberia received a tip of from the Sierra Leonean Navy that a fishing vessel had been hijacked and was heading towards Liberia.
Upon receiving the tip off from the Sierra Leonean Navy, the Liberian Coast Guard immediately launched a search and rescue operation on sea, in order to rescue the Shenghai-2 fishing vessel, engaging the armed men and managing to arrest two of them, and also rescuing the crew members onboard the vessel.
