The Israel Police Israel Police National Fraud Unit today summoned Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. chairman Idan Ofer for questioning in the collision of the Zim Asia container ship with a Japanese fishing boat a month ago, in which seven fishermen were killed.
It was reported today that police questioned Zim CEO Doron Goder a day after the accident. The police said today, “This is an intensive investigation, during which other Zim employees will be summoned to the National Fraud Unit’s offices in the coming days. Some employees are witnesses, while others are suspects.”
Goder admitted that Zim Asia’s warning system was working shortly before the collision, and that there was an attempt to change the ship’s course. His statements contradict claims by some of the ship’s crew that they had not felt the collision.
The police today denied media reports that evidence had been found of collusion in evidence given by the ship’s crew and senior Zim executives. A police source said that numerous contradictions, including in material matters, had been found in the evidence given by people questioned.
Zim Asia docked in Haifa on Sunday, at which point the police investigation was made public, when the National Fraud Unit boarded the ship and raided Zim offices in Haifa. Under maritime law, Israeli law applies to all ships flying the Israeli flag, even when the ships are outside Israeli territorial waters.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on October 26, 2005