After a hearing in Hong Kong on Tuesday, the lawyer of the Chinese captain alleged that ten witnesses would be called to testify against him in a criminal?damage case. The Chinese captain is accused of damaging undersea cable in Baltic Sea.

According to a Hong Kong charging document reviewed by, Wan 'Wenguo is accused of causing "criminal damage" to an underground natural gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia and submarine telecom cables on October 8, 2023.

Wan appeared before the court on Tuesday, but his attorney said that more time would be needed to review documents and enter a plea.

The case has been adjourned until February 11. Reporting by James Pomfret, Editing by Anne Marie Roantree & Jacqueline Wong

(source: Reuters)