The captain of the Viking cruise ship which collided with a sightseeing boat in central Budapest in May is to remain in custody for at least another three months under a non-binding court ruling.
According to MTI, the court’s ruling against the 64-year-old Ukrainian captain of the Viking Sigyn is appealable within three days.
In June, the captain was taken into custody on suspicion of criminal misconduct but later released on a bail of HUF 15 million (EUR 45,600). The municipal court ruling granting the captain’s release also obliged him to remain in Budapest. However, the chief public prosecutor turned to the Kuria, Hungary’s supreme court, over the captain’s release, after which the top court ruled that the decision by lower courts to release the captain on bail had been unlawful.
At the end of July, the captain was taken back into custody on suspicion of failing to provide assistance after the collision.
Budapest’s 6th and 7th district prosecutor had earlier filed a request for an extension of the captain’s detention until November 30th. But a first-instance court ordered his detention only until September 30th while rejecting a motion by the defense for the captain’s release on bail. Last month, the prosecutor’s office said it had successfully appealed that ruling and the captain’s detention had been extended by three months.
Photo credit: 24.hu