Legal proceedings are underway in Australia over a 2020 box spill incident involving the 5,780 teu APL England. The master of the Singapore-flagged ship appeared via video link in a Brisbane court today for a committal hearing.
Mohd Zulkhaili Bin Alias, 44, appeared from Malaysia where he is out on bail.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority charged Alias with disposing of garbage into the sea in the exclusive economic zone, and failing to ensure a vessel is operated so as not to cause pollution or environmental damage. A judge dismissed the first charge while the second one was allowed to proceed. A date for the official trial has yet to be set.
The APL England was travelling to Melbourne from China when an estimated 50 containers toppled overboard off the coast of Sydney on on May 24, 2020 when the ship hit rough seas.
