TOKYO, June 10. / TASS /. The Japanese prosecutor’s office has indicted the third captain of the Russian trawler Amur who collided with a Japanese fishing vessel in late May with fatal negligence, the Russian Consulate General’s office in Sapporo informed Thursday.

“The third captain has been formally charged,” said a consulate employee. The consulate noted that a criminal case had been opened against Pavel Dobryansky, 38, who was on duty at the time of the collision, accusing him of fatal negligence and improper navigation of a ship which resulted in the deaths of three people.

Previously, the Consulate General had reported that the detained Russian could face up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 1 million yen (approximately $ 10,000). This week, the Japanese Mombetsu Coast Guard also submitted documents to the prosecutor’s office against the captain of the Japanese vessel Hokko-Maru 8 that the Russian trawler collided with. He is also suspected of fatal negligence and improper navigation of a vessel which resulted in the deaths of three people.

On June 2, the Asahikawa District Court ruled to detain the trawler Amur to ensure that a bond is posted at the lawsuit for damages. Japanese authorities have ceased the documents the crew needed to continue sailing.

Amur and Hokko-Maru 8 collided on May 26, 23 kilometers off the coast of the Japanese island of Hokkaido. Three Japanese fishermen were killed and two others were injured. Amur belongs to the fishing company Amurskoye registered in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.