t995-E?-2312143; JIK:CUZ''K'+G'EIKTzP,BI
AFFIDAVIT
l, MAFTHTNUSEWETJACOBS,D550605051008,esidingt No7 OleaCresenl,MornlngHillBedfordlew,einganadultmaledoherebyoluntarilyeclarenderoathas follows:Iwashe ManagerorTalwanor,southAfricanirwaysndwasstationedn Taipei,romMarch19g7ntilDecember990. Thisatfidavitelateso the'Helderberg'accidentn28 November987.SAA onveyedumerousonsignm6ntsf ropical{ishrornTaipelto ohannesburguringmytermofemploymentn Taipei. Allshipments riginatedrom SingaporendwereshlppediaTaipeioJohannesburg.The ishwerecor'rveyedntransparenteavyutyplasticags,partiallyilledwithwaterowhlchenoughur6oxygen olast or hedurationofha light,adbeenadded.Thebagswere hensealed ndplacodn cardboardoxes,labelledndconveyedslivestock. Allrelevant AAregulationsithregard o theconveyancefivestock ad o becompliedithprior o ivestockeing ccepted s cargo.lntermsof thesaid egulationstwasmportanthatallivestock edeclared sivestockonthe cargomanifest,ndhat hecaptain f theflightwasobenotifiedyway of theloadsheethich equiredis signature,efore eparturefaflight.All conslgnmentsftropicalishwere o be oadedn thepressurisedargohold5(bulkhold)aswasstandardforallivestock,withheexceptibnflargenimals,hichwere o beoadednthe upperdeckof the7478Combiaircratt).Talpeiirportmoves onsof live ish,especiallyiveeels,oJapan.All shipments repackedndoaded sdescribed bove.Anyshipmentf liveishnotpackednd oadedasabove,ouldmmediatetyavearouseduspicionndwouldhave een nformed.Iaminpossession f acopy of the originalargomanifestnd oadsheet fthe ll'fated'Helderberg'andtropicalfish'doeenotappearnanyofhe documents.Thecargomanifestadnevergonemissirtg'theoriginalmanifeslwas aboard heHeldorb6rg,ut at least15 copies,swasstandardAAprocedureeforeeparture faflight,wasmade.Despatcherserevisitedoverifyhathe natureftlrecargoransportedasndeedasindlcatednthecargomanifest.Iwaspersonallyt Taipeiairportontheoveningf 27 November987 o overseere'departureormalities,swas henormalractisentho ineof my dutiea.At approximately20:00,was rrformedyCathayPacificirwaystaf{,hat heir lighlsromSeoulndTokyoweredelayedueo fog at Taipei irporl.Bothlightsweredivertedo KhaoshiungirportandwereoxpectedoirrivenTaipeit 21:00.lthenestablishedhatwehadnexcessof S0 connectingassengersn thosewoflightsanddeclded,n the interestf SAApassengers,o obtainermissionromCaptainUysodelayourlight.IsawCaptainUys
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