Captain claims he wet himself during armed boarding by Australian soldiers

A Taiwanese fishing boat captain told the Boroko District Court that he was so terrified when armed Australian soldiers boarded his vessel on May 11 that he urinated himself. Hsu Jin Te, skipper of the Hwai Tsai No. 101, testified through an interpreter that one of four soldiers pointed a gun at him.

"I was frightened, and as a matter of fact, I wet my pants in the wheelhouse," Jin Te stated. This account contrasts with earlier testimony from state witnesses Greg Bowness of the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol and an interpreter, Mr. Wayne Lu. They had told the court that Jin Te appeared calm and normal when they boarded the vessel on May 10, following its apprehension.

Bowness explained that the soldiers were present to provide security for fisheries officers conducting investigations and to guard the vessel. Jin Te is currently facing charges related to illegally fishing within the Torres Strait Protected Zone, which falls under Papua New Guinea's jurisdiction according to the Fisheries Act. He is also charged with fishing in the area without a license and using his boat for processing fish caught in the zone.

The Hwai Tsai No. 101 is owned by Inter Sea Fish Pty Ltd, a Port Moresby-based company. State Prosecutor Aquila Samson is expected to continue cross-examining Jin Te when the court resumes.

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I was frightened, and as a matter of fact, I wet my pants in the wheelhouse.