The company of the resort involved in the incident where four foreign divers went missing in April has been slapped with an RM5,000 fine.
Mersing Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director Commander Maritime Khairul Nizam Misran said Winter Snow Sdn Bhd was charged under Rule 12 of the Boat Rules 1953 with operating without adequate crew as required by the condition set by the Port Officer.
The company also provides boat services for divers.
Khairul Nizam said a representative of the company pleaded guilty at the Magistrate’s Court here on Thursday (June 23) when the charge was read before magistrate Rashida Baharom.
“The company was not represented by any lawyer. It paid the fine.
“MMEA prosecuting officer Azlan Bohari prosecuted,” he said in a statement on Friday (June 24).
On April 6, four European scuba divers went missing off Pulau Tokong Sanggol here. They were dive master Kristine Grodem, 35, from Norway; British national Adrian Peter Chesters, 46; his Dutch national son Nathan Renze Chesters, 14; and French woman Alexia Alexandra Molina, 18.
Only Grodem, Adrian and Molina were found.
Adrian had told the Malaysian authorities that his son did not make it and died after becoming too weak, and his body was likely to have drifted into Indonesian waters.
Commander Khairul Nizam said the investigation revealed the boat was operating without adequate crew as required by the Port Officer under the Merchant Shipping Act of 1952.
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