Taipei - Taiwan on Wednesday launched a probe into the
alleged murder of a Taiwan fishing ship captain by seven Indonesian
seamen, but the Indonesians insist on their innocence.
'We want to find out the truth of Tsai's death, and we respect the
outcome of the judicial investigation,' Tsai Jih-yao, from the
Fisheries Administration, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.
'If they are found guilty, they will be charged with murder,' he
added.
The seven Indonesians are accused of killing Tsai Yun-sheng,
captain of Taiwanese tuna trawler Hsin Ming Tsai, on April 27
following a dispute over a pay raise, and dumping his body into the
sea near Palau in the Pacific Ocean.
Tsai called his family on a satellite phone before he was killed,
saying the Indonesian seamen were going to kill him.
Palau arrested the seven Indonesian seamen and repatriated them to
Taipei Tuesday, at the request of Taiwan authorities. The body of
Tsai has not been found yet.
The Indonesian seamen denied killing Tsai, Taiwan TV reported, so
the Bureau of Criminal Investigation began to interrogate them using
lie detectors Wednesday, to find out how Tsai died.
Tsai's mother said on Wednesday that she only wanted the seven
Indonesia seamen to be put to death.
'I don't want money compensation. I only want them to stand trial
and be put to death!' said through tears on TV.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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