The captain of the Yioham, the vessel at the centre of a tragedy in which 283 illegal immigrants drowned in the Sicily channel in 1996, has claimed that "several officials in top positions from all Mediterranean countries" were equally to blame for the disaster.
The migrants had met their death as they were reportedly being transferred from the ship to a launch off Sicily in rough seas on Boxing Day.
The Italian La Repubblica newspaper reproduced an interview with the Lebanese captain Youssef El Hallal, who is currently on the run in France.
Capt. El Hallal claimed that the accident took place at a time when governments tolerated an activity that made money. He told the newspaper the people who bagged most money from human trafficking were those who turned a blind eye to the activities taking place.
"Everyone is involved. I have transported hundreds of immigrants from all the states surrounding the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, except Libya.
"The traffickers make money, sure, but not as much as people think. Those that really benefit are those who conceal the trafficking.
"I still believe in justice. I did my job. I will not be the only one to pay for the tragedy, since it involves hundreds of other people," Capt. El Hallal was reported as saying.
According to available information the launch left from Marsaxlokk and linked up with the Yioham. The ship was laden with hundreds of illegal immigrants, many of whom were transferred to the launch to be landed at Capo Passero, in Sicily.
A few survivors, who later turned up in Greece, said the launch was accidentally rammed.
The victims were said to be Sri Lankans, Pakistanis and Indians, who had allegedly paid up to £3,500 to the traffickers.
According to reports, fishermen from Portopalo began finding bodies in early January 1997. The macabre discoveries went on for six weeks.
During the interview, Capt. El Hallal recounted the chilling events leading to the tragedy:
"At about 2 a.m. the (Yioham) stopped in the Sicilian channel to wait for a small boat which had left from Malta. The boat arrived at 3 a.m.
"Around 300 tired immigrants, most of whom had embarked on the voyage some three months before, were transferred to the Maltese boat.
"Because of the weight and the stormy seas, and because of a bump with another boat in the vicinity, the Maltese boat sunk."
The Yioham made its way to Greece with some 175 persons still on board who were then landed on the coast of Greece on December 29, he said.