inp.polri.go.id - Bengkulu. Bengkulu Police have named the owner and captain of the tourist ship 'Tiga Putera', ES (40), as a suspect in the sinking of the ship carrying 104 passengers from Tikus Island to Malabero Beach which resulted in eight deaths.

The suspect was named after the Bengkulu Sub-regional City Police Criminal Investigation Unit conducted a series of witness examinations, expert statements, and it was even discovered that the ship had not had an operating permit since 2021.

"We have named a suspect who is the ship's captain and owner," said Head of Criminal Investigation of Bengkulu Sub-regional City Police, Police Senior Inspector Sujud Alif Yulam Lam in Bengkulu City, Thursday (5/15/2025).

He said that the five crew members (ABK) of the Tiga Putera tourist ship, namely Rahmad, Andri, Yandi, Dedek and Fandi, currently still have the status of witnesses.

ES was named a suspect because he was the one who was responsible as the owner and captain of the ship, plus the ship had not had an operating permit since 2021.

For this reason, the suspect was charged with Article 302 paragraph 1 and 3 junto 117 paragraph 2 and/or Article 323 paragraph 1 and paragraph 3 junto 219 paragraph 2 of Law Number 17 of 2008 and Article 359 of the Criminal Code.

Sujud continued, the suspect was charged with circumstances or negligence that caused eight people to die with a minimum prison sentence of five years.

Previously, the Bengkulu Sub-regional City Police had examined 21 people who were questioned after the 'Tiga Putera' tourist ship carrying tourists from Tikus Island to Malabero Beach sank in the waters of Malabero Beach, Bengkulu City, Sunday (11/5) at around 16.00 WIB.

The Bengkulu Provincial Government explained that the number of passengers on the 'Tiga Putera' tourist ship from Tikus Island to Malabero Beach are 107 people.

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