SAKIZAYA CHAMPION

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Vietnamese crew member arrested after swimming to shore

A Vietnamese crew member of the'Sakzaya Champion' has jumped from ship which had arrived in Albany on Jan 7, 2021, and swam to shore on Jan 9. Ho Anh Dung, 37, appeared in Albany Magistrates Court in the morning onf Jan 11 via video link from Albany Regional Prison. He was charged with breaching COVID-19 protocols for allegedly leaving his ship. He swam to land before 6:00 a.m. before checking into an Albany backpacker hostel with the assistance of a local. The police in heavy protective gear arrested him outside the backpackers in the night. COVID-19 tests taken from Mr Ho and others at the hostel all returned negative results. Assisted by a Vietnamese translator in court, Albany Magistrate Diane Scadden told Mr Ho a lawyer had not been found who could represent him, and he would remain in custody until his next court appearance on Jan 14. That delay raises questions over whether Mr Ho could be left in Australia if his ship leaves Albany on schedule on Jan 11 bound for South Africa around 4.30 p.m. Mr Ho's reasons for allegedly leaving his ship remain unknown.