Mustafa Oz, the captain of the ferry which sank off the coast of Kyrenia, bought his Honduran captain’s licence for $3,500, a police representative said in court on Thursday.
Oz appeared before the Turkish Cypriot Kyrenia district court for the second time on Thursday, with the representative informing the court that Oz had said under questioning that he had initially obtained a licence in Turkey, but that it had become invalid after he did not work as a boat captain for 10 years.
When he wished to resume his career, the representative said, Oz had made contact with “some people in Greece” and, using his old Turkish licence number, obtained a Honduran licence after paying $3,500.
The representative said that Oz then received an accompanying document from the Turkish Cypriot authorities, before beginning to operate the route between Kyrenia and the Turkish port of Tasucu.
The Cyprus Mail has contacted the Republic of Honduras’ directorate-general of merchant maritime in an attempt to verify the authenticity of the licence, and is awaiting a response.
