By Lee Hyo-sik
Five captured Somali pirates, brought here for prosecution over their role in the hijacking of the 11,500-ton Samho Jewelry, denied for the second time Monday shooting the captain of the ship, Seok Hae-kyun.
A special investigation team, set up at the Coast Guard South Regional Headquarters in Namhae, South Gyeongsang Province, said the pirates captured by South Korean Navy commandos during the retaking of the chemical carrier have partly admitted their involvement in the hijacking on Jan. 15.
They also told interrogators that all 13 pirates spent 15 days together in a training camp to plot taking over the freighter.
But the team said it has not yet been able to pinpoint exactly who shot the 58-year-old captain, who was seriously wounded during the rescue operation and is currently in intensive care at a hospital in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. The ship’s other 20 crewmembers were rescued unharmed, while eight other Somali pirates were killed.
During a press briefing, an investigator said the pirates whose ages range between 19 and 25 admitted to their roles in the hijacking of the Samho Jewelry. “We cannot disclose any information concerning the investigation into who shot Seok and how it happened because it is ongoing,” he said.
A pirate named Arai Mahomed had earlier stated that he shot the captain Sunday, but later changed his statement, insisting that he was not the one who pulled the trigger.
Investigators say that even though they do not know exactly who is responsible for the captain’s life-threatening injuries, at least one of the five captured pirates shot him.
The names of the remaining four Somali nationals are Serum Abdullah, Ali Abdullah, Ali Abukad-Aeman, and Brallat Aul.
The five were brought to the southern port city of Busan at 4:18 a.m. Sunday on a private jet belonging to the United Arab Emirates. They were immediately taken to the Busan District Court, which issued arrest warrants for all five on charges of hijacking the freighter, holding the crew hostage, injuring three commandos and shooting Captain Seok. They were then taken into custody at the Coast Guard headquarters for questioning.
After intense interrogation Monday, the pirates were taken into a detention center and spent their second night in Korea. An official at the South Regional Headquarters of the Coast Guard said they were served steamed rice, soup and other side dishes for dinner at 7:25 p.m., emptying their plates.
They then went to bed at around 9 p.m., the official said, adding that all five men slept well without waking up in the middle of night. “The pirates seem to be relaxed and do not appear afraid at all. We will do everything we can to keep them protected here,” he said.