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GWANGJU, South Korea (AP) — Prosecutors in South Korea say the CEO and four employees of the operator of a sunken ferry caused the accident by overloading the ship with cargo that was poorly stored. And they say the five neglected safety by spending just two dollars last year on crew training.
The defendants say the cause of the April disaster that left more than 300 people dead or missing isn't clear.
The five were in court today, where they had been expected to verbally enter pleas. But their lawyers said they needed more time.
The CEO and the four executives or managers received a less hostile reception in court today than the one given to the 15 crew members who were charged with negligence at a hearing last week. At that hearing, family members of the dead heckled and screamed at the crew members.
A lawyer for the CEO says he doesn't deny that the ferry was overloaded with cargo and that it had been redesigned. But the lawyer says the CEO questions whether those factors led to the sinking.
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APPHOTO TOK801: FILE - In this April 17, 2014 file photo, Kim Han-sik, CEO of Chonghaejin Marine Co. Ltd., which owns the sunken ferry Sewol, is escorted by helpers to hold a press conference at Incheon Port International Passenger Terminal in Incheon, South Korea. Kim, 71, did not deny that the ferry was overloaded with cargo and had been redesigned, but contended that it was questionable whether those factors led to the sinking, according to his lawyer, Kang Seok-won. Prosecutors on Friday said the CEO and four employees of the operator of the sunken ferry caused the accident by overloading the ship with poorly stowed cargo after a risky redesign and neglecting safety by spending less than $2 last year on crew training. (AP Photo/Yonhap, File) KOREA OUT (8 May 2014)
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