Investigation continues into migrant boat disaster in Italy

According to Italian press reports, the Crotone General Prosecutor’s Office continues to identify those responsible for not having carried out a rescue operation on the ship before the disaster, in connection with the incident that sank on February 26 off the city of Cutro and 94 irregular immigrants. deceased.

The suspects named in the investigation were claimed to be people involved in the rescue mechanism who could provide the necessary assistance to the vessel in the Mediterranean.

In media reports, it was claimed that a search warrant was issued for the offices of the Italian Financial Police, the Italian Coast Guard and the European Union (EU) Border Protection Agency in Rome, which are among the official institutions that deal with the rescue. operation in the Mediterranean.

Crotone prosecutor Giuseppe Capoccia told the ANSA agency: “There was no search before Fronttex, but that is the general framework of the investigation. We are taking the necessary measures on the elements that we believe are missing to complete the investigation instead of the searches.” He used the phrase. Capoccia also confirmed that there were suspects in the investigation.

It was noted that the purpose of the investigation in question was to determine the reasons for the failure to intervene before the disaster to save migrants and whether the legislation related to the intervention was complied with.

WHAT HAPPENED?

94 people lost their lives as a result of the shipwreck with numerous immigrants off the coast of Cutro, in southern Italy, around 04:00 on February 26. After the ship disaster, there was a public debate about the fact that the necessary intervention on the ship was not done before the disaster. An air patrol belonging to Frontex was said to have detected the vessel off the coast of Italy on 25 February and informed the Italian authorities.

Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, in his speech to the House of Representatives on March 7, said that Frontex had detected the boat that night, but did not report any dangerous situation, and that 2 Malian police patrol cars that they settled in to find the ship had to turn back due to worsening sea conditions, he had said. (AA)