Boat owner ready to let Italian ship sail for Rs.1.7 mn

Kochi, April 26 (IANS) The owner of a damaged fishing boat, on which two Indian fishermen was shot dead by two Italian marines in February, Thursday filed a plea in the Kerala High Court saying that he would not oppose the departure of the Italian vessel from Kochi if he was compensated Rs.1.7 million ($32,000).

The application of Freddy, the owner of boat St. Antony, would be taken up in court Friday.

Freddy's fresh plea is part of the on-going case related to a petition filed by him soon after the Feb 15 incident off Alappuzha.

In his petition, he said Italian vessel Enrica Lexie should not be allowed to leave the Kochi waters unless he was compensated.

Since the past few days the Italian authorities have been in touch with Freddy's counsel for paying compensation for his damaged boat lying idle.

This plea filed by Freddy Thursday comes two days after Italian authorities handed over two demand drafts of Rs.10 million each as compensation to the families of two Indian fishermen shot dead by the marines on his boat.

Fishermen Ajesh Binki, 25, and Gelastine, 45, were apparently mistaken as pirates and shot dead by Italian Marines from aboard the Italian vessel.

Freddy was on board his fishing boat when the shooting incident took place.

Italian Marines, Latorre Massimillano and Salvatore Girone, were later picked up from the vessel and sent by a court in Kollam to jail Feb 20 on murder charges. They are now lodged in the central prison in Thiruvananthapuram.