The ferry which sank off the coast of Kyrenia last month had only undergone “superficial” repairs in June after a crack appeared on its left side, the Turkish Cypriot Kyrenia district court heard on Friday, as proceedings continued against the nine people accused of causing death by negligence in the disaster.

According to newspaper Yeniduzen, a police representative told the court that according to photographs recovered from the first mate’s mobile phone, the repairs were carried out on June 17 by the boat’s captain and crew.

Those repairs were carried out just 15 days after Istanbul-based ship classification firm Turk Loydu had certified the boat as seaworthy.

However, while the certificate issued by Turk Loydu states that the certificate is valid until 2029, its online database states that the certificate is “invalid”. It is unclear whether the certificate was declared invalid before or after the ferry sank on August 30.

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The Cyprus Mail has reached also out to Turk Loydu, while the Turkish Cypriot police last week said that they are also awaiting a response from Turk Loydu regarding the procedures undertaken during the ferry’s examination.

All nine suspects are accused of causing death by negligence, with 14 people confirmed to have died and 14 more still unaccounted for, 19 days after the ferry sank. The families of the missing gathered outside the courthouse in Kyrenia on Friday to remonstrate with the suspects as they entered and exited the court.

At the end of the day’s proceedings, all nine – the captain, Mustafa Oz, seven members of the crew, and one director of the ferry’s operating company, Filo Denizcilik – were ordered to remain in custody for a further seven days. They will next appear in court on September 25.

Questions still remain over captain’s Honduran licence

Last week, police told the court that video footage had been obtained showing “signs of fractures on the boat” in the minutes before it capsized.

Previously, it had been said that Oz had bought his Honduran captain’s licence for $3,500. A police representative said at the time 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 Cyprus Mail has contacted Honduras’ directorate-general of merchant maritime in an attempt to verify the authenticity of the licence.

The ferry capsized shortly after leaving the new port of Kyrenia en route to the Turkish port of Tasucu on August 30, with 259 passengers and eight crew members on board.