The captain of a Chinese ship sailing under the Hong Kong flag, accused of damaging underwater cables and a gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea in 2023, pleaded not guilty in a Hong Kong court today.
Wang Wenguo, captain of the container ship Newnew Polar Bear, pleaded not guilty to a charge of criminal damage in a Hong Kong court.
He also pleaded not guilty to two separate charges relating to violating safety requirements for his ship.
Cases of sabotage of important undersea cables and gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, have increased governments' security concerns.
Finnish authorities previously determined that the ship Nyuju Polar Bear was responsible for damaging the Balticonector gas pipeline, which connects Finland and Estonia, in October 2023. Finland has also sought China's cooperation in the investigation.
According to the indictment, which the AP has seen, Venn is accused of damaging a gas pipeline and underwater telecommunications cables between Finland and Estonia "without lawful justification" and being "negligent as to whether that property would be damaged."
The case is being heard in a Hong Kong court because the ship is registered in Hong Kong. The court said today that about 18 witnesses could be called to give evidence in the case.
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