Feds free Chinese crew
held as witnesses

6 of the original 30 must remain in
Hawaii until Shi Lei is tried for
murder in September

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By Leila Fujimori
lfujimori@starbulletin.com

A federal magistrate released yesterday the remaining 26 Chinese crewmen who had been detained since April 1 as material witnesses in the double murder case against one of their shipmates.

Magistrate Kevin Chang paroled Su Yuan Hua and Zhong Chongkai, two witnesses for the government who will remain in Hawaii to testify at the murder trial of Shi Lei, 21.

Shi was the cook of the Taiwanese fishing boat Full Means No. 2, who is accused of fatally stabbing the ship's captain and first mate in March.

Chang also ordered the release of the 24 other witnesses who will be allowed to return to China.

Chang terminated the 24 crewmen's status as material witnesses and turned them over to the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. The men will remain in the federal detention center and may leave for China as soon as Friday.

Four other witnesses were released last week and will also have to stay for the trial.

Chang said the crewmen have given videotaped depositions for use at trial, which is tentatively scheduled for September.

Answering questions by the crewmen's lawyers, Chang said they would not have to pay for their way back to China.

After the hearing, Bryan Ho, attorney for the boat's owner FCF Fishing Co., speculated that his client may wind up with the $33,000 travel bill for return of the crew to China.