Thursday, September 16, 2010
The ship’s crew were held captive for 71 days until the Copenhagen-based Clipper Group, which administers the vessel, agreed to pay a ransom of USD 1.7 million. The 38-year-old Somali man was arrested by the US Navy on 10 April when he and five others fired shots at the Navy’s USS Ashland ship, thinking it was a merchant vessel.
Per Gullestrup, CEO of Clipper Group, said he is glad the FBI have finally been able to bring a case to court. “It should not be possible to attack merchant vessels unpunished, so it is important that pirates are apprehended and tried,” he said, adding: “It is important for a sense of justice in general. It is not enough that naval vessels hunt pirates in the Gulf of Aden – that is just treating symptoms.”
According to documents received from the court in Washington DC by Politiken, the prosecution and defence have agreed a sentence of 25 years in prison for the hijacking of the CEC Future, although the man may be liable for an additional 30-year term for the USS Ashland attack. Other pirates, caught while attempting to take over vessels, are currently awaiting trial in the Netherlands and Kenya.
Source:Ice News