The captain of an Italian fishing boat, Mariano Ruggiero, 46, has been taken into custody by the Carabinieri at Lampedusa (Agrigento) on the charge of murdering an illegal migrant.
According to reports obtained last night, in the offshore waters around fifty miles south of the Pelagius Isles, a dinghy with around 60 migrants on board which was making the crossing from North Africa, crossed courses with an Italian fishing boat. One immigrant, probably of Somali origin, dived into the water and managed to reach the fishing boat, but the captain of the craft prevented him from staying on board, throwing him back into the sea. The event was reported by the other immigrants on their arrival at Lampedusa’s reception centre. Following this, the fisher boat in question also docked at Lampedusa and inquiries were immediately underway on the part of the Carabinieri, who gathered statement from other crew members to clarify the incident. Mariano Ruggiero was placed on board the boat that connects Lampedusa with Porto Empedocle and will be held in Petrusa country prison awaiting further prosecution of the case. A search for the body of the migrant is now taking place, with vessels belonging to Italy’s Coast Guard, Navy, and Customs Police on the scene.