The captain of the Viking cruise ship which collided with a sightseeing boat in central Budapest in May has been charged with criminal misconduct.
According to MTI, the charges relate to criminal misconduct leading to mass casualties and 35 counts of failing to provide assistance after the collision.
The indictment of Budapest’s 6th and 7th district prosecutor states that the cruise ship’s captain was inattentive and lost focus on steering the ship for several minutes. He further failed to keep a safe distance and signal intention to overtake the sightseeing boat. He also failed to meet the obligation to provide assistance after the collision.
The prosecutor is seeking a nine-year prison term and wants the captain to be banned from steering ships for another nine years on the condition that he pleads guilty and waives his right to a trial.
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