Man on trial over alleged role in deadly asylum seeker voyage

A man claims his concerns about a boat that later sank, killing a “significant number” of people, were ignored as he told a court the boat’s captain was killed and thrown overboard.

Maythem Kamil Radhi has pleaded not guilty to the single charge of organising bringing groups of non-citizens into Australia.

An Iraqi refugee has described how he paid $3300 USD to secure his family a place on a doomed boat journey on which the captain was killed and thrown overboard and passengers were forced to throw their luggage in the ocean amid high seas before capsizing.

Fawzi Salem Ukili Al Majed, leaves the Supreme Court. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Former Iraqi soldier Fawzi Salem Ukili Al Majed, his wife and their three children were among what he estimated to be 500 asylum seekers who were crammed onto the “too small” boat which ran into rough seas on a voyage from Indonesia to Australia in 2001 before it sank, killing a “significant number” of people.

Mr Al Majed was called to give evidence at the Supreme Court trial of 46-year-old Maythem Kamil Radhi who is accused of helping facilitate the operation between July and October 2001.

Radhi has pleaded not guilty to a charge of organising bringing groups of non-citizens into Australia.

Mr Al Majed on Monday gave evidence that hundreds of asylum seekers were ferried from an Indonesian beach on board small boats to the waiting “wooden boat”, which later came to be known as the Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel X (SIEV X).

Mr Al Majed said he confronted people smuggler Abu Quassey, who stood with two men armed with automatic weapons, as the refugees including women and children were loaded onto the boat.

“I talked with him, I told him this boat too small for this crowd of people and he said that’s not your business,” Mr Al Majed, 65, said through his translator.

Mr Al Majed estimated there were 500 to 520 people on the boat which was so crowded that the ocean lapped at the edges and people had to sit crammed, even on the roof, getting hit by waves.

“There are so many problems happening, first of all we (were asked) to throw all our luggage in the sea,” he said.

He detailed how they were on the boat for about 15 to 17 hours and when they reached international waters, the Indonesian captain was replaced by an Iraqi captain who had never operated a vessel of that size.

He said another boat meant to pick up the first captain had to turn around due to the rough seas.

“This captain he said that I need to go back, the Indonesian captain, at that stage that (Iraqi) captain said that this boat it’s … going forward,” Mr Al Majed said.

“I didn’t see what happened but I hear that they killed him and throw him in the sea.”

Mr Al Majed said he saw water almost completely covering the boat’s engine and people were hitting a “small boy from Indonesia” who he “saved from them”.

The SIEV X encountered another fishing boat which had been lost at sea for five days.

Mr Al Majed and his family were among a number of people who got on that fishing boat and travelled back to Indonesia and were not on board the SIEV X when it sank.

He described how he and his family had travelled from Iraq to Indonesia with the hopes of getting to the “safe country” Australia.

Maythem Kamil Radhi.

When they arrived in Indonesia in 2001, they travelled from Jakarta to Cisaru and shortly after arriving they were greeted by Radhi and another man Khaleed Shnayf Daoed.

“Maythem told me that you come at the right time and if you want we can give you sort of a good price to go,” Mr Al Majed said.

He said he was at first told the price would be $1000 USD per person but the price was reduced to $700 USD per person after he spoke to Quassey.

Mr Al Majed said he arranged to pay $3500 USD and he did pay $3300, keeping $200 for travelling expenses.

He said the asylum seekers were moved around, taken to Cipinas for a time before being transported to a seaside location where they waited for days without food before being loaded on to the SIEV X in the night.

Mr Al Majed alleged Radhi helped organise their movements by reading their names on a list to load them on to buses and also delivered food including bags of bread and cucumbers.

He said when it was time to get on the boat, people were scared and hungry and were pushing each other.

He said Radhi and Khaled organised people onto the small boats but they did not come on the larger boat.

He recalled people were taken from the hotel to the beach in small cars, with 10 to 12 people moved at a time.

“Did you get in one of those cars?,” Crown Prosecutor Chris Shanahan SC asked.

“Yes and they arranged to go inside, Maythem came to me and told me a word which I’ll never forget. He told me bouri, bouri,” Mr Al Majed said.

“What does that mean?,” Mr Shanahan asked.

“It means that will be the end of your life,” Mr Al Majed replied.

Seven witnesses are expected to be called during the eight-day trial, including six people who were on board the Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel X (SIEV X) and an Australian Federal Police investigator.

The trial continues before Justice Lincoln Crowley.