Costa Concordia helmsman found

Rome - After a long search, the Indonesian helmsman of the Costa Concordia, Jacob Rusli Bin, has finally been located. He is required to testify at Grosseto in Francesco Schettino’s trial. This information comes from the public prosecutor in Grosseto. Interpol was able to track him to the countryside outside of Djakarta and serve him with a subpoena. As soon as the court has decided on the date of his deposition, we shall see whether Rusli Bin decides to make the trip to Italy to testify. For months the helmsman has been impossible to track down. The Indonesian, who was at the helm of the Concordia and failed to understand Schettino’s orders at least twice while the cruise ship was near the rocks at Giglio, is a prosecution witnesses.

In the last session of the trial it became known just how difficult it had been to locate him. But in recent days the matter has finally been resolved. Now everything depends on Rusli Bin’s will to appear in Grosseto to testify at the time the court decides, since it is unlikely that the Indonesian authorities will compel him to make the trip. Jacob Rusli Bin was investigated and in July, 2013, negotiated a plea bargain of 20 months prison for multiple negligent homicide, multiple negligent bodily harm and negligence resulting in a shipwreck before the initial hearing’s judge in Grosseto.