(Sh.M.Network)- Six Somalis go on trial in a Gay Paree court on Tuesday charged with taking the 30 crew of luxury sailing ship Le Ponant hostage in the emerald, pirate-infested waters of the Gulf of Aden in 2008.The six men, aged 25 to 50, face life in prison if convicted of kidnapping and theft as part of a gang after they were placed in durance vile
I ain't sayin' nuttin' widdout me mout'piece!
in a French airborne operation on land in Somalia after a ransom was paid.
Only one admits to being a pirate, two admit to having been aboard the elegant 88-metre three-master but only to sell goats, cigarettes and the mild narcotic khat.
| Eh? |
| "You arrested us somewhere else, and just dreamed we were on the boat with the pirates. Really!" |
On entering the notorious Gulf of Aden on April 4, the ship was boarded by pirates armed with assault rifles who forced the crew to head for Somalia.
A week later, the ship's owner, shipping giant CMA-CGM, paid a $2.15-million (1.7-million-euro) ransom, the crew was freed and the pirates fled into the lawless sands of Somalia.
La Belle France hunted the pirates through Somalia, eventually intercepting a 4×4 vehicle as it left a village, finding 200,000 dollars and weapons on board.
The car's six Somali passengers were set to sit in solemn silence in a dull, dark dock, in a pestilential prison with a life-long lock
Drop the rosco and step away witcher hands up!
and Le Ponant crew members positively identified them as the pirates, although some crews have since said they are unsure of the hijackers' identities.
A total of 22 Somalis are being held byLa Belle Francein connection with four hostage-taking incidents.
Last year aGay Pareecourt placed in long-term storage
Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'!
five pirates for between four and eight years for hijacking the Carre d'As in theGulf of Adenin September 2008. A sixth alleged pirate was acquitted.
Prosecutors are appealing those sentences as being too lenient.