A Coast Guard officer who commanded a vessel that ran aground appeared before a five-member military tribunal on Monday to answer four charges arising from the incident.
Sources confirmed the incident, which reportedly took place on February 21, 2022, led to charges of hazarding a ship, negligently causing damage to service property, failing to investigate the incident and submit a written report and failing to inform his commanding officer of the incident.
Sources confirmed that before the court-martial began, the accused sailor challenged the decision by initiating proceedings in the High Court in July 2024.
“His challenge was based, in part, on an alleged assurance by his then Commanding Officer that the damage to the vessel would be written off as operational damage.
“This gave rise to a plea of condonation, through which the accused sought to resist the military disciplinary proceedings.”
The High Court initially granted a stay of the court-martial proceedings, but dismissed the plea of condonation, lifting the stay and allowing the military trial to proceed.
Col Jozette McLean served as President of the tribunal while Military Judge Col Sheldon Ramanan presided over the proceedings.
The matter is expected to resume on November 2.
A court-martial tribunal deals with serious disciplinary breaches that cannot be dealt with summarily. Summary trials, by contrast, address less serious offences, such as failing to perform routine duties, including taking out garbage or distributing rations.
One official said serious offences that may warrant a court-martial include damaging official military property and possible criminal conduct, such as stealing official military property or attempting to defraud the Government.
