A marine officer from Tonga's Marine Imports Division said buying the Princess Ashika was a waste of time and money.
Sione Kavaliku made the comments while appearing before the Royal Commission of Inquiry in Tonga investigating the sinking of the ferry, which claimed 74 lives.
Kavaliku said the Princess Ashika was falling apart well before the tragic disaster in August and it should never have sailed from Fiji.
He told the Commission he visited the ship on the 1st of July, expecting it to be in a good condition, but found rust and corrosion.
The Tongan Marine Officer said he was walking up a ramp and a handrail pulled apart in his hands.
Kavaliku also revealed that when the surveyors found three pages of deficiencies with the ship, they tried to stop the Ashika sailing, and informed the Acting Director that it was in a very bad condition.
Buying Princess Ashika a waste of money
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