Owner of Sunken Egyptian Ferry Acquitted

CAIRO, Egypt — The owner of a ferry that sank two years ago in the Red Sea was acquitted yesterday of manslaughter charges in the deaths of more than 1,000 people who perished in the botched rescue.

Yesterday's ruling cleared a total of five people in the case, outraging families of those killed in the accident. One person — the captain of another ferry who failed to respond to the foundering vessel's distress call — was convicted and sentenced to six months in jail.

The ferry's owner and former member of parliament, Mamdouh Ismail, and his son, Amr, were cleared of manslaughter and faulty injury charges by a court in the Red Sea port city of Hurghada, the country's official news agency, MENA, reported. The men, who fled the country shortly before being ordered to stand trial, were tried in absentia. They are believed to be hiding in Europe.

The Al-Salam Boccaccio 98 sank in February 2006 after fire broke out in its vehicle bay while traveling from Saudi Arabia to Egypt. Most of the more than 1,000 victims were Egyptian workers returning home.

A parliamentary investigation found "a wicked collaboration" between the company and the Egyptian Commission of Maritime Safety, which allowed the ferry to operate while failing to meet minimum safety requirements. Both the company and the government were also criticized for failing to respond quickly to the sinking, which struck a deep chord in Egypt where official negligence is often blamed for large accidents.

"We are stunned. There can't be a ruling like this," a lawyer for several victims' families, Asaad Heikal, said. "We will not give up and will appeal the ruling," he told reporters outside the courthouse.