Beijing has admitted that the Estonian-Finnish gas pipeline Balticconnector was damaged in October last year by the Hong Kong-registered vessel Newnew Polar Bear, RusERR reports. According to the Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post, the results of the internal investigation into the incident conducted by the Chinese authorities have been forwarded to European governments. The report, written in Chinese, states that the incident occurred due to a strong storm – according to the Hong Kong newspaper's sources, the relevant data has also been forwarded to Finland and Estonia, which are conducting a joint investigation into the incident. Kairi Kungas, a representative of the Estonian prosecutor's office, said that the document was not sent to the agency and cannot be used as evidence in criminal proceedings in Estonia: "We have submitted a request for legal assistance to the Chinese authorities to collect evidence about the vessel and its crew. To fulfill the request for legal assistance, the Chinese authorities can carry out investigative actions themselves or involve Estonian investigators, but any activity on Chinese territory must comply with local legislation. The Chinese authorities have not yet responded to the request for legal assistance." The press service of the Finnish National Investigation Bureau (NBI) did not confirm receipt of the document from China, stating that the investigation is ongoing: "The investigation involved cooperation with the Chinese authorities. Among other things, the NBI sent the Chinese authorities a request for legal assistance. It should be noted that the investigation is ongoing and final conclusions about the causes of the incident (technical malfunction, negligence, intentional actions) can only be made after all necessary investigative actions have been completed, and this will take time." Read RusDelfi wherever it is convenient for you. Follow us on Facebook, Telegram, Instagram and even TikTok.
