Somali pirates' accountant arrested in Germany

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/10056253/Suspected-Somali-pirates-accountant-arrested-in-Germany.html?fb

 

Suspected Somali pirates' accountant arrested in Germany

Every child knows that a pirate needs a cutlass and an eyepatch, but it turns out there’s one more accessory no self-respecting buccaneer would take to the high seas without - an accountant.

The oil tanker had 22 crew members on board and is valued at $25m Photo: Alamy

2:49PM BST 14 May 2013

German police have announced the arrest of a man who acted as the book-keeper for a gang which hijacked a German-owned oil tanker off the coast of Oman three years ago.

Authorities said the suspect, a Somali national who entered Germany illegally, has “partially confessed” to his role in the crime.

In a statement, police in Lower Saxony said the suspect was responsible for keeping the ship supplied with food, as well as “book-keeping, which was the basis for the fair distribution of ransom money between the pirates.”

The Marida Marguerite, carrying a load of oil and benzene valued at $10m, was hijacked south of Oman in May 2010. The ship and her crew were freed in December that year after a multi-million dollar ransom was dropped on board.

The suspect was arrested after his fingerprints, taken on entry to Germany, linked him to the ship.

The alleged pirate accountant was arrested last Wednesday at a reception centre for refugees in the city of Giessen. He was travelling with papers which were “probably false,” police said.

A German court has issued an arrest warrant for kidnapping and grievous bodily harm.

If convicted, the suspect faces a prison sentence of between five and fifteen years.

Uwe Kolmey, president of state police in Lower Saxony, said in a statement: “This is a further, outstanding international success against maritime piracy, which is mainly due to the very good, meticulous search for clues of our investigators on the hijacked ship off the coast of Oman.”

The oil tanker, which had 22 crew members on board and is valued at $25m, was attacked by pirates who fired rockets and machine guns before boarding. While the ship was held for ransom, crew members were subjected to torture and mock executions.

German authorities have released pictures of a chain which was used to restrain crew members. Crew were “chained to a chair for days,” the caption read. Police also released an image of a crime scene investigator on the deck of the ship.