The Poavosa-Ace: Crew Feedback and Vessel Data

In a significant ruling, a court located in Annaba sentenced the master of the vessel 'Poavosa Ace' on April 5, 2016, for his involvement in severing a vital fiber optic cable that connects Annaba, Algeria, to Marseille, France, in October 2015. The court handed down a six-month prison sentence along with a fine of 406 Euros. The conviction stems from violations of navigational laws and charges relating to the destruction of property deemed essential for communication and connectivity.

Captain Du Chang Long, who serves as the master of the vessel 'Poavosa Ace,' has been named in an inquiry as responsible for severing the SMWE4 submarine cable near Sidi Salem. This critical cable, which connects Annaba, Algeria, to Marseilles, France, was cut on October 22, 2015. A court hearing is set for December 17 at the Annaba court to address the consequences of this incident. Algeria Telecom has filed a petition on November 26 requesting the confirmation of the vessel's seizure. This action stems from significant financial losses incurred by the company, which reported repair expenses and damages due to the disruption caused by the cable cut. The outage impacted 80% of Algeria Telecom's international bandwidth capacity, leading to severe disruptions in the national broadband network for a duration of six days. An arrest request for the captain was lodged on November 16, and while awaiting the court's final decision, he is currently under judicial supervision and is prohibited from leaving Algeria.