Overview
- Three senior officers, including Commander Yvonne Gray and Lieutenant Commander Matthew Gajzago, have been charged over the loss of HMNZS Manawanui.
- Alleged offences under the Armed Forces Discipline Act include negligently causing a ship to be lost, which carries a maximum of two years’ imprisonment or service sanctions.
- The New Zealand Defence Force says the court-martial date and location are yet to be set, and the Defence Minister is withholding comment while the case proceeds.
- An interim navy report found bridge crews failed to recognise the autopilot remained engaged, contributing to the grounding off Upolu, Samoa, in October 2024.
- The sinking spilled large quantities of diesel and oil, all roughly 75 on board were rescued without fatalities, and the NZ$103m vessel was the first peacetime loss since the Second World War.