An Egyptian court has postponed the trial of an Israeli tanker captain charged with responsibility for an oil spill in the Gulf of Suez.
But Yosef Zvi, captain of the government-owned tanker Nyuta, says he will not return to Egypt for the trial, which is now scheduled for Jan. 2.
Though he insists he is innocent, Zvi had agreed to appear in court, on the understanding that he would be fined if found guilty. He has since learned he could face a stiff prison sentence, as well.
Zvi’s vessel was employed ferrying Egyptian oil to Israel. The Egyptian authorities charged that the tanker leaked oil off Sharm el-Sheikh on Oct. 21.
But Israeli are more concerned at the moment with another tanker mishap, one that has already soiled the beaches of Herzliya.
The small coastal tanker Eyal grounded and sank about a mile off Herzliya last Friday, causing an oil seepage.
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