Charges after gold search

Press, 10 June 1977, Page 9

Charges after gold search

PA Timaru The Manne Division of the Ministry of Transport has ; laid several charges against, persons connected with the, recent search for the wreck! of the General Grant by the l Timaru trawler Seafarer. The charges allege breaches of the Shipping and Seamen Act, 1952. Those charged are the master of the vessel, Roy Thomas Milford, of Invercargill; the owner of the vessel, the Seafarer Fishing Company* Ltd, Timaru; a Christchurch property developer, Richard Brooke McKenzie; and Arthur John Baxter, a fisherman, of Timaru. "Milford faces three i charges which allege that, on i April 2. as master of the Sea-1 farer. he took the ship toi sea in such an unseaworthy I condition that the lives of! persons on board were en-1 dangered; that he took the vessel from Timaru to the Auckland Islands following a course on which the ship was more than 50 miles from the New Zealand coast

i • without informing the Superintendent of Mercantile : Marine at Timaru of the s> nature and destination of the 11 voyage; and that he was : master of a vessel which ::went to sea before it was released from a notice of detention. ' Baxter is charged with I, sending the Seafarer to sea in such an unseaworthy state : that the lives of those on ’ board were endangered; and ■ the Seafarer Fishing Co., . Ltd, is charged with being the owner of a ship which went to sea before it was re- . leased from a detention : order. McKenzie is charged with Raiding and abetting the comdpany which was the owner i[of the ship in the commis- ' sion of an offence, and with i [aiding and abetting the I master of the Seafarer in 'lthe commission of an offence,; jin that the master took the' : ship to sea in an unsea- : worthy condition. It is believed that the! i charges are not likely to be! ; heard until about the’ middle, : of August.