Angry scenes erupted outside an Egyptian court on Sunday after it cleared the owner of a ferry of manslaughter charges from the 2006 ferry sinking and the drowning of about 1,032 passengers in the worst maritime disaster ever in Egypt, reported the Deutsche Presse Agentur dpa. The country's general prosecutor immediately appealed the verdict. The court of the Egyptian Red Sea port city of Safaga cleared of all charges five of six defendants, including Mamduh Ismail, the owner of the al-Salam Boccaccio 98, which went down on February 3 about 80 kilometres off the Egyptian coast during an overnight journey from Duba in Saudi Arabia to Safaga. Angry relatives of the victims scuffled with security forces after the verdict was read out. Raising photographs of their dead relatives, women and children stood outside the court and chanted slogans against the court and the firm. Some burst into tears while others lapsed into hysterical fits after the court announced its ruling, according to DPA. "We are shocked by the ruling. But we will not give up and will appeal it," Asad Haykal, a lawyer of some families of victims told reporters. "I lost my wife and children in the ferry sinking. After two years, those responsible are all acquitted," a man told al-Arabya TV. Egypt's chief prosecutor lodged an appeal, saying prejudicial errors have been committed, prosecution sources said. Salah Gomaa, the captain of another vessel owned by el-Salam Maritime, was sentenced to six months in prison and fined the equivalent of 1,880 dollars. The ferry sank at about 2 am after a fire broke out during the journey. Only 422 people survived.
