Ship’s cook ordered
held without bail

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By Leila Fujimori
lfujimori@starbulletin.com

A 21-year-old ship's cook from China who is accused of stabbing the captain and first mate on a Taiwanese fishing boat was ordered yesterday to be held without bail.

U.S. Magistrate Leslie Hayashi ordered Shi Lei's detention because of his lack of ties to the community and because of the nature of the offense and concern for the community's safety.

Lei was charged with killing the ship's Taiwanese captain, Chen Chung-She, and its Chinese first mate, Li Da Feng, in the course of seizing control of the Full Means No. 2.

He could face the death penalty if convicted.

About half the crew of 30 is being detained as material witnesses by the U.S. Attorney's Office, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Enoki. What will happen to the remaining crew members is not known, he added; that may depend on requests from the defense.

If the crew were not under a court order, the ship's owner, FCF Fishery Co., would be responsible to provide their passage home, Enoki said.

The crewmen were being interviewed exclusively by the government, said assistant federal public defender Pamela Byrne, Shi's attorney, who added that she had hoped to interview the crew yesterday.

Byrne questions the jurisdiction of the United States because the alleged stabbings occurred in international waters and there is an issue over whether Shi was brought to U.S. territory voluntarily.

But she will confer with her client as to his wishes.

Byrne said Shi's first inclination was to return home, but after learning more about Taiwanese and Chinese systems of justice, he may want to have the case tried in Hawaii.

"I think he's in deep pilikia wherever it's heard," she said.