Public prosecution, headed by Abdallah el-Shazly, summoned Captain Tarek Abdel Aal, the captain of the Bella, a ferry that caught fire last week, to testify regarding the incident. The company owning the Bella will also compensate passengers for the fire. The Bella caught fire on its way back from the Jordanian port of Aqaba to the Egyptian port of Nuweiba last Thursday while carrying 1,230 passengers. Witnesses will testify about technical problems on the ferry, although a report declared the vessel seaworthy. Abdel Aal told Youm7 he will go to the public prosecution for testimony without fear and that he dealt with the incident perfectly. Arab Bridge, the company that owns the Bella, decided to pay 3000 EGP (U.S. $503) compensation to each of the ferry's passengers. Sources told Youm7 that the company would also compensate the value of the passengers' cars and possessions recorded at customs. Mamdouh Deraz, a member of Arab Bridge's board of directors, told Youm7 an insurance company would compensate the passengers. He added all compensation was decided according to Egyptian law, and ongoing negotiations to increase compensation between attorneys and the insurance company will take time. Arabic here
