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Lucona
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Lucona
MV Lucona was a cargo ship that sank in the Indian Ocean after a powerful time bomb hidden on board exploded. The blast on 23 January 1977 resulted in the death of six people. Six others survived. The motive was insurance fraud. The subsequent investigation, political scandals, discovery of the shipwreck and murder trials were a major controversy in Austria for nearly 15 years.
The MV Lucona was a commonplace Dutch owned cargo ship leased to Zapata AG, a company owned by well-connected Austrian businessman Udo Proksch. Proksch was a well-known and eccentric high society figure and political operative in Vienna.
The ship sailed from the port of Chioggia, Italy in early January, 1977, bound for Hong Kong. The ship's manifest indicated that the cargo was expensive uranium enrichment equipment. There were 12 people on board. Ten were crew members led by the ship's master, Jacob Puister. The two passengers were Puister's wife and the chief engineer's fiancée.
On 23 January 1977, after 17 days at sea, the ship was near the Indian island Minicoy north of the Maldive Islands. The weather was good and there were no previous problems. Suddenly, a powerful explosion shook the ship, shattering the windows in the wheelhouse. Within 40 seconds, it was clear that the Lucona was sinking and Puister ordered the crew to abandon ship. Some crew members who were below deck at the time were unable to do so, and the ship sank rapidly. An inflatable life raft deployed automatically, and the six survivors were able to board it. They were rescued by a Turkish tanker ship the following day.
After the Lucona sank, Proksch, the owner of the cargo, filed an insurance claim for 212 million schilling (approx. US$20 million), certifying that the cargo was valuable uranium enrichment machinery.
Beginning later in 1977, the Austrian investigative journalist Hans Pretterebner wrote a series of magazine articles alleging corruption in the sinking of the Lucona. Credible allegations emerged that former Austrian Defense Minister Karl Lütgendorf had helped provide the explosives used to sink the ship. Lütgendorf was found shot to death in his car in 1981. His death was ruled a suicide but some observers believe that it was a murder.
In 1983, Proksch and his accomplice Hans Peter Daimler were charged with murder and fraud. The Austrian Justice Minister Harald Ofner intervened to prevent the case from proceeding, but the courts overruled that decision. In 1984, law enforcement officials searched locations associated with Proksch and Daimler, finding incriminating documents. Austrian Interior Minister Karl Blecha tried to stop the investigation but a court overruled him the following day.
In 1985, Proksch and Daimler were arrested. Austrian Foreign Minister Leopold Gratz intervened by endorsing forged documents indicating the men's innocence and the men were released.
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Lucona
MV Lucona was a cargo ship that sank in the Indian Ocean after a powerful time bomb hidden on board exploded. The blast on 23 January 1977 resulted in the death of six people. Six others survived. The motive was insurance fraud. The subsequent investigation, political scandals, discovery of the shipwreck and murder trials were a major controversy in Austria for nearly 15 years.
The MV Lucona was a commonplace Dutch owned cargo ship leased to Zapata AG, a company owned by well-connected Austrian businessman Udo Proksch. Proksch was a well-known and eccentric high society figure and political operative in Vienna.
The ship sailed from the port of Chioggia, Italy in early January, 1977, bound for Hong Kong. The ship's manifest indicated that the cargo was expensive uranium enrichment equipment. There were 12 people on board. Ten were crew members led by the ship's master, Jacob Puister. The two passengers were Puister's wife and the chief engineer's fiancée.
On 23 January 1977, after 17 days at sea, the ship was near the Indian island Minicoy north of the Maldive Islands. The weather was good and there were no previous problems. Suddenly, a powerful explosion shook the ship, shattering the windows in the wheelhouse. Within 40 seconds, it was clear that the Lucona was sinking and Puister ordered the crew to abandon ship. Some crew members who were below deck at the time were unable to do so, and the ship sank rapidly. An inflatable life raft deployed automatically, and the six survivors were able to board it. They were rescued by a Turkish tanker ship the following day.
After the Lucona sank, Proksch, the owner of the cargo, filed an insurance claim for 212 million schilling (approx. US$20 million), certifying that the cargo was valuable uranium enrichment machinery.
Beginning later in 1977, the Austrian investigative journalist Hans Pretterebner wrote a series of magazine articles alleging corruption in the sinking of the Lucona. Credible allegations emerged that former Austrian Defense Minister Karl Lütgendorf had helped provide the explosives used to sink the ship. Lütgendorf was found shot to death in his car in 1981. His death was ruled a suicide but some observers believe that it was a murder.
In 1983, Proksch and his accomplice Hans Peter Daimler were charged with murder and fraud. The Austrian Justice Minister Harald Ofner intervened to prevent the case from proceeding, but the courts overruled that decision. In 1984, law enforcement officials searched locations associated with Proksch and Daimler, finding incriminating documents. Austrian Interior Minister Karl Blecha tried to stop the investigation but a court overruled him the following day.
In 1985, Proksch and Daimler were arrested. Austrian Foreign Minister Leopold Gratz intervened by endorsing forged documents indicating the men's innocence and the men were released.
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