MEGHNA LIBERTY

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Ship banned from sailing after murder on board

A murder was committed on Aug 29, 2022, around 8:50 p.m. in the territorial waters of Mauritius aboard the 'Meghna Liberty', when the ship was about 68 nautical miles northwest of Saint-Brandon. The first information available to the Port police reported an altercation between the captain and his chief cook, Calopez Alfred Kenneth Bonghanoy, both from the Philippines. A problem concerning the dinner had escalated, and the captain was stabbed. The crew members, all Filipinos, apprehended the suspect after the captain had already succumbed to his serious injuries. They placed the body in one of the freezers on board. Then, they contacted the shipowner to inform him of the tragedy. The vessel was en route from Saldanha to India. Instructions were given to the second officer to set sail for Port-Louis. It arrived off the port in the afternoon of Aug 29, and a team from the Ministry of Health came on board to carry out Covid tests on the crew members. The National Coast Guard has placed the 'Meghna Liberty' under surveillance. After Sanitary Clearance, the captain's remains were transferred to the Jeetoo Hospital morgue where an autopsy is scheduled to determine the cause of death. Police have not yet interviewed the suspect or crew members due to a communication problem and called for an interpreter. The Scene of Crime Officers have not yet inspected the vessel for sanitary reasons. The ship remained moored in Port-Louis and was not allowed to leave Mauritius for the time being.

Crime on board reconstructed

Alfred Calopez, 33, took part in a reconstruction of the crime he committed aboard the 'Meghna Liberty' in the morning of Dec 8. The chef had fatally assaulted Captain Rolly Baquillos Solante, 44, on Nov 20. The Filipino has indicated that he can no longer bear the lack of consideration of him. He therefore stabbed him, before throwing the weapon into the sea off St-Brandon. The reconstruction was attended by personnel from the Port's Criminal Investigation Division (CID), led by Chief Inspector Ahmad Taujoo. Dr. Sudesh Kumar Gungadin, head of the police forensic service and a team from the Scene of Crime Office, were also on site.

Killing of captain being investigated

Law enforcement in Mauritius investigated the murder of the captain of the 'Meghna Liberty'. The vessel was en route to Haldia, India, when the chef confessed to killing the captain. The ship was then diverted to the nearest port so that law enforcement could properly make the arrest and investigate the allegations. The chef, the 33-year-old Calopez Alfred Kenneth Bonghanoy, had stabbed the captain 45 times after the pair got into an argument. On Nov. 21, Bonghanoy confessed to his fellow crew members that he had murdered the captain, Rolly Baquillos Solante. The officers alerted the crew, and they began to search for the captain. The crew found Bonghanoy in a hallway repeating his confession of killing the captain. The crew then found the captain in his cabin in a pool of blood. After the arrival in Port Louis, the local authorities arrested the chef. During the interrogation, Bonghanoy reportedly told police on Nov. 20 that the captain had frequently insulted him in front of crew members and an intense argument eventually led to the stabbing. Mauritian authorities have taken the passports of all the crew while they were conducting the investigation. Police said they could not find the weapon and suspect that Bonghanoy threw it overboard. The ship remained stationary at its anchorage as of Dec 1.