14 Aug 2017

Fishing crew imprisoned in Vanuatu for killing captain

9:07 pm on 14 August 2017

Six Indonesians who murdered their Chinese captain on board a Vanuatu flagged fishing vessel have been sentenced to 18 years imprisonment.

The Port Vila correction centre in Vanuatu

The Port Vila correction centre in Vanuatu Photo: RNZI / Jamie Tahana

The Vanuatu Daily Post reported that Fijian authorities intercepted the Fiji bound ship and extradited the six Indonesians to Port Vila.

Justice David Fatiaki initially sentenced the crew members to 30 years each, but the sentences were reduced taking into account their guilty pleas and that they were to be imprisoned in a foreign country.

The judge told them they were lucky to be prosecuted in Vanuatu as it did not have the death penalty.

The court heard the men killed their captain over ill treatment including not being paid for over a year.

The judge said they would be deported on parole when they had served nine years of their sentences.