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Released Spanish fishermen on their way home
By h.b. - Apr 28, 2008 - 7:49 AM
ALSO SEE : • The crew of the Playa Bakio are now back on Spanish soil - Apr 30, 2008 - 7:36 AM
• Zapatero says the priority in the Playa Bakio kidnapping was the safety of the Spanish crew - Apr 29, 2008 - 7:19 AM

Spanish navy frigate 'Méndez Núñez' escorting the 'Playa de Bakio' - Photo EFE
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The Government faces questions in Congress as to whether a 1.2 million dollar ransom was paid to Somali pirates for the release of the 'Playa de Bakio'.
The Spanish crew of the kidnapped tuna fishing boat, ‘El Playa de Bakio’ which was boarded by pirates of the coast of Somalia last Sunday has now been released, after the reported payment of a 1.2 million dollar ransom.

It came after talks were reported to be taking place in a luxury London hotel, and was confirmed by the Deputy Prime Minister, Maria Teresa Fernández de la Vega on Saturday afternoon at a press conference in the Moncloa Palace. She declined to answer questions about the payment of any ransom, but Reuters reported on Sunday, quoting local sources, that the pirates were finally paid 1.2 million dollars, some 766,000 € .

This has been confirmed by one of the negotiators in the talks who linked the pirates to the Somali war. Andrew Mwangura has claimed that indeed 1.2 million $ was paid and reports indicate that the pirates selected the Spanish tuna fishing boat as their target on the Internet.

The Partido Popular here in Spain are now calling on the Government to explain whether or not a ransom was paid and called for a statement on the matter to congress.

The boat is owned by the Pequería Vasco Montañesa company, based in Bermeo in Vizcaya and had a total crew of 26, thirteen of them Spaniards – eight from Galicia and five from the Basque Country.

After their release a member of the crew revealed to El País that the pirates had held them at gunpoint at all time, and that the release was pacific but carried out with caution.
Gotzon Klemos told the paper ‘I don’t know if they paid a ransom for our release, but we are very happy. Please tell my wife I’m coming home’.

The Spanish boat is expected to dock back in Spain towards the end of this week. It is now heading to the Seychelles, escorted by the navy frigate ‘Méndez Núñez’.


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ALSO SEE :
• The crew of the Playa Bakio are now back on Spanish soil - Apr 30, 2008 - 7:36 AM
• Zapatero says the priority in the Playa Bakio kidnapping was the safety of the Spanish crew - Apr 29, 2008 - 7:19 AM
• Crew of kidnapped Spanish tuna fishing boat released - Apr 27, 2008 - 9:37 AM
• Kidnapped Spanish fishing boat said to have set sail again in Somalia - Apr 25, 2008 - 8:04 AM
• Talks continue in the Spanish fishing boat kidnap off Somalia - Apr 24, 2008 - 7:24 AM
• Talks with Somalia pirates expected to get underway properly today - Apr 23, 2008 - 8:16 AM
• Diplomatic efforts continue to try to release the Spanish crew of the Playa de Bakio - Apr 22, 2008 - 8:29 AM
• Spanish fishing boat held hostage off the coast of Somalia - Apr 21, 2008 - 7:30 AM
• Fishermen rescued after weeks adrift - Apr 5, 2008 - 10:59 AM
• Ship runs aground off northern Spain with 54 tons of fuel on board - Mar 9, 2008 - 9:22 PM