According to a very well-informed source, all the heads of Royal Coast, the company that operated the boat Esther Miracle, were thrown in jail last Friday following a long hearing.
The leaders of Royal Coast are among the 8 people whose placement under arrest warrant was announced by the public prosecutor, André Patrick Roponat.
If the prosecutor did not communicate on the identity of these now prisoners, information cross-checked by the editorial staff of Gabonactu.com confirms that there is on this list a certain Blaise Mbadinga, boss of Royal Coast and therefore owner of the ship Esther Miracle. The captain who was at the helm of the ship that cursed night of March 9 is also in prison.
Another detainee and not the least, the boss of the company which had carried out the modifications of the ship. Esther Miracle was indeed designed to do river transport. It had entered a workshop where it was modified to become a boat ensuring the mixed transport of goods and passengers at sea.
The head of the Libreville branch of Royal Coast is also in prison. Ms. Ovono is being prosecuted for manifesto falsification.
The other detainees in this case are the Director General of the Merchant Navy, Fidèle Angoué Mba and his fleet director.
In his statement, the public prosecutor was clear. All these people have been charged with manslaughter, involuntary injury, failure to provide assistance, forgery and use of forgery and endangering the lives of others. These facts are provided for and punished by articles 116, 117, 122, 125, 246, 247 and 248-1 of the Gabonese penal code.
The investigation continues, warned the prosecutor.
As a reminder, the vessel Esther Miracle sank on March 9 in the early morning while providing the Libreville Port-Gentil link. The official toll is 30 dead, 7 missing and 124 survivors. The victims had denounced heaviness in the organization of relief.
The government has recognized failures at various levels of command in transport administration.
Carl Nsitou
