A Singapore court has sentenced the captain of the gas tanker GT Win, Nguyen Duc Nghi, to 14 months in prison for lying about a fatal incident on board in May 2024. This incident involved the death of a seafarer, Hoang Van Chau, who lost consciousness while cleaning an emptied gas tank. Nghi is the second crew member to face jail time for the incident; the pump master, Le Thanh Dung, received a sentence of three months and two weeks after pleading guilty to endangering lives. The chief officer, Dao Tien Manh, is still awaiting trial.
The GT Win, a Vietnamese-registered chemical tanker, arrived in Singapore carrying naphtha and was anchored when the fatal incident occurred. Prosecutors allege that Manh ordered crew members to clean the tanks without ensuring proper safety checks, including oxygen level assessments. He also instructed Dung to modify a breathing apparatus, which prosecutors deemed impractical due to space limitations.
After Chau’s death from exposure to volatile hydrocarbons, Nghi reportedly concealed crucial details from authorities and encouraged the crew to lie about the circumstances. He suggested that fabricating the story would help the victim’s family obtain insurance compensation. Following the incident, crew members eventually disclosed the truth to investigators, leading to Nghi’s arrest the next day.
Nghi’s guilty plea for obstructing justice highlights the serious implications of neglecting safety protocols in maritime operations. The ongoing case against Manh underscores the importance of accountability among ship officers in ensuring crew safety.
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