Cynthia Busuttil
Government still in the dark over kidnapped man's ransom demand
The government has not yet confirmed whether a ransom was requested for kidnapped oil worker George Scerri, who was snatched in Nigeria 10 days ago.
Contacted yesterday, a spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Ministry said Lonestar Drilling - the company which employs Mr Scerri - has still not confirmed or denied the €5.5 million (Lm2.36 million) ransom for two of its oil workers.
The ransom claim was made by the 62-year-old's Nigerian wife, Phina Scerri, who also raised concern about her husband's health, Nigerian newspaper Vanguard reported.
Mr Scerri and Pakistani Moham-med Asif were snatched on May 23 in Omoku, outside the main oil city Port Harcourt, as they were driving to an oil rig. Nigerian media said the two were detained by unknown gunmen while they were travelling from their camp site to the oil rig. The kidnappers, who let the men's driver go, led the two foreigners to a waiting bus and then onto a speedboat.
Last Tuesday contact was made between Mr Scerri and the oil company. The local authorities have also been in touch with Mrs Scerri, the ministry spokesman said.
It is understood that Mr Scerri left Malta some 22 years ago and has been in Nigeria for around eight years. Three weeks before being abducted he spoke to one of his children living in Malta. The 26-year-old has also been in touch with his father's Nigerian wife.
Meanwhile, a delegation led by Foreign Ministry Permanent Secretary Cecilia Attard Pirotta is expected to leave for Nigeria today or tomorrow. The delegation is heading to the Nigerian capital Abuja, where it will be meeting with local authorities, the Italian Embassy and the British High Commission in the African country.
Asked whether the delegation would be meeting with Mrs Scerri, Dr Attard Pirotta said she hoped so. "Most definitely if she is in Abuja, she will be one of the people we will try to get in touch with," she said when contacted.
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Noel Borg
Jun 1st 2008, 10:56
First of all I would like to empathise with the Scerri family for the difficult times that they are passing through. I, however, would like to raise a point. Are people who work in these high risk countries insured? Should it become a policy that if locals would like to work in such high risk areas they should be insured and register their policy with the foreign ministry? We cannot expect these things to become a burden on our coffers too, so if the country is to help out in these circumstances, I beilieve that this little effort from the part of these workers should be demanded. We should start learning from our mistakes as a country. And finally, my wishes for the best of luck to the family and the delegation.