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Pirate on kidnapped Spanish trawler: Negotiation OK. They'll be free on Wednesday
By m.p. - Nov 17, 2009 - 10:18 AM
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The Alakrana. Photo - Defence Ministry
He said the ransom is to be handed over shortly, claiming guarantees from Spain that the 2 pirates in custody will be returned to Somalia
One of the pirates holding the ‘Alakrana’, the Basque tuna trawler which was captured while fishing in the Indian Ocean at the beginning of last month, has told El Mundo newspaper that the ransom to release the vessel and its crew is to be paid over either this Tuesday or Wednesday. Then, he said, the ship’s 36 crew will be released. His words were, ‘Negotiation OK. They’ll be free on Wednesday’.
He did not disclose the amount which is to be handed over.
The pirate claimed in a telephone conversation on Monday that, through Spain’s Ambassador to Kenya, the kidnappers have the guarantee of the Spanish government that their colleagues held in Spain will be returned to Somalia. The two men in custody could go on trial before the end of the month after the National Court Judge Santiago Pedraz ordered on Monday that they each be prosecuted on 36 counts of illegal detention and one of violent robbery committed with weapons.
If their sentence is less than six years, they could then be legally deported by applying Spain’s immigration law, although it’s understood that could not have happened if the judge had not decided to remove the charge of illicit association. The prosecution service has however said that the sentence requested for the two accused will be more than 200 years in prison.
Ricardo Blach, the captain of the ‘Alakrana’, spoke to RNE Spanish national radio on Tuesday morning and said the kidnap situation could be over within two days. He said he was unable to say anything any more, as there were currently 63 pirates on board, including all the pirate chiefs. He had time to pass on the news that all the crew are well before he said he had to hang up.