For attempting to hijack of the Italian merchant vessel Montecristo
MSR’s correspondent in Italy Enzo Mangini reports on the sentencing of the 8 Somalis accused of the attempted hijack of the Italian merchant vessel Montecristo.
Public prosecutor Francesco Scavo left the bunker courtroom of Rome’s Rebibbia jail a satisfied man.
The first instance trial of the group of Somalis charged with the attempted hijack of the Italian vessel Montecristo ended today with a heavy verdict: the eight defendants were sentenced to 16 years in jail; Ahmed Mohamed Ali, thought to be the leader of the group, received a 19 years sentence.
It took nine months to complete the first piracy trial in Italian contemporary history and, apparently, the verdict has rewarded all the logistical and investigative efforts.
The Public prosecutor’s charges were accepted by the court, with an important “but”: the judges did not accept the idea that the pirates’ activities were somehow connected with the Al Shabab Islamist militia, as Scavo had attempted to prove. Nonetheless, the defendants were found guilty of attempted hijack of the 23 strong crew on board of the Montecristo, and Italian criminal code punishes this crime with from 25 to 30 years in jail.
Since the crime was not actually committed but “only” attempted – the Montecristo crew did not give up the ship and from the armoured citadel kept control of her – the maximum was reduced by one third and lowered to the closest figure: 16 years.
Source: Maritime Security Review