Mustafa Oz, the captain of the ferry which sank off the coast of Kyrenia, bought his Honduran captain’s licence for $3,500, a police representative said in court on Thursday, with nine suspects – eight members of the boat’s crew and one shareholder of its operating company, Filo Denizcilik – appearing before the Turkish Cypriot Kyrenia district court.

Thursday was all nine suspects’ second court appearance since the boat sank, with the representative informing the court that Oz had said under questioning that he had initially obtained a licence in Turkey, but that it had become invalid after he did not work as a boat captain for 10 years.

When he wished to resume his career, the representative said, Oz had made contact with “some people in Greece” and, using his old Turkish licence number, obtained a Honduran licence after paying $3,500.

The representative said that Oz then received an accompanying document from the Turkish Cypriot authorities, before beginning to operate the route between Kyrenia and the Turkish port of Tasucu.

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He later said that the Turkish Cypriot social insurance department has no record of Oz’s existence.

The Cyprus Mail has contacted the Republic of Honduras’ directorate-general of merchant maritime in an attempt to verify the authenticity of the licence, and is awaiting a response.

During the same hearing, the police representative explained that the ferry had begun to break apart at a distance of around four nautical miles off the coast of Kyrenia, before explaining that the entire crew, including Oz, had been subjected to alcohol and drug tests after they were brought ashore. The results of those tests have not yet been determined.

He also said that the boat’s first mate had “claimed that he had urged [Oz] not to make the expedition”, and that the port of Tasucu was closed at the time of departure, at around midday on Sunday, and was due to remain closed until 3pm.

Despite this, Oz reportedly decided “regardless” to set sail at midday.

The police representative also told the court that all nine suspects had said they had been aware that the boat “took on water” during previous voyages, but did note that the height of the waves on Sunday was less than half of the three-metre maximum for which the boat was certified.

On the matter of the boat taking on water, he said that the police are aware of videos circulating on social media showing the boat taking on water during voyages made earlier in the summer.

He then said that the police have searched the company shareholder’s house and confiscated a number of documents and electronic devices, which are to be searched in due course. 

On this front, he said that letters have now been sent to the Turkish authorities to determine the authenticity of the documents which were seized, while information has also been requested from Turkey’s met office regarding the weather conditions in Tasucu on Sunday. 

Additionally, he said that it had been confirmed that the ferry last underwent a service in the Turkish port of Adana in April, and that information regarding the nature of that service has also been requested.

He added that “more than 200” statements have been taken as part of the police’s investigation into the matter, and that “nearly 100 more” remain to be taken, while officials from Turk Loydu, the Istanbul-based ship classification firm which examined and certified the ferry in June, have also arrived in Cyprus. 

While the certificate states that the certificate is valid until 2029, Turk Loydu’s online database states that the certificate is “invalid”.

It is as yet unclear whether the certificate was declared invalid before or after the ferry sank on Sunday. The Cyprus Mail has reached out to Turk Loydu and is awaiting a response. 

The police representative was asked in court on Thursday whether there had been “structural damage on the boat” before it set sail on Thursday, and said that “it was seen that water had entered the passenger compartment” and that both Oz and his first mate “knew about it”.

Regarding reports that passengers had begged Oz to turn the boat back after it began to take on water but that Oz had refused, he said that “if the ship’s speed was reduced as soon as the passengers warned that it was taking on water, there would be a chance that he would have been slowly turning back to port”.

In addition, he said information has been requested from Turkey regarding the training given to the boat’s crew.

He also said that despite it now being known that the boat had been crashed at least once in its 26-year lifespan, “there is no document related to the accident or repair of the ship at the ports department”.

All nine suspects were remanded in custody for a further eight days, while one Filo Denizcilik shareholder who is wanted by police is currently in Turkey, and the remainder of those who appeared in court on Monday remain under investigation.