Naval officers face charges over sinking of HMNZS Manawanui

Charges have been laid in relation to the loss of Royal New Zealand Navy vessel HMNZS Manawanui, off the coast of Samoa in October 2024.

Three naval officers face a court martial.

The vessel sank off the coast of Samoa after hitting a reef, spilling hundreds of thousands of litres of diesel and oil into the ocean.

One officer faces a charge of negligently causing a ship to be lost and a second faces a charge of negligently permitting a ship to be lost.

If found guilty, negligently causing a ship to be lost carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison.

A third officer faces a charge of negligently permitting a ship to be lost, or in the alternative, negligently failing to perform a duty. In addition, the third officer faces a charge of negligently failing to perform a duty.

A spokesperson for the defence force said the date and location of the court martial were yet to be set.

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