Delhi court to charge 20 over drowning of 170 Indians off Malta
An Indian court is set to charge 20 people over the drowning of more than 170 Indian illegal immigrants near Malta in 1996.
Indian media has reported that those to be charged include travel agents and two policemen allegedly involved in the trafficking of victims.
The immigrants, mainly hailing from various places in Punjab, had died in the icy waters off Malta on Christmas Day after they were transferred from the ship Yiohan to an 18-foot boat.
The policemen are also to be accused of giving travel clearances without valid documents to the tragedy-struck passengers.
A case had been registered against 27 people in 1997, seven of whom have since died.
The remaining 20, who are on bail, should be charged on Tuesday.
The Indian immigrants had left Delhi in September 1996 on the assurance that they would be smuggled into various European countries.
The passengers had taken off for Dubai from Delhi on various Gulf-based airlines after getting entry at the Indira Gandhi International airport.
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steve Demicoli
Jun 29th 2009, 06:39
And then they expect us to believe that they come all the way (from Libya etc) by small boat - u halluna! They would come by ship and then transfer to a small boat which 'develops a fault' to attract sympathy - and 'Malta Hanina Hobza u Sardina' falls for the trap most of the times
Ronnie Gauci
Jun 29th 2009, 02:22
This story was on History Channel last week and the outcome of this documentary did not give Malta and Italy a very good image. It was alleged that the victims where forced at gunpoint to board a smaller ship in high seas during a big storm by the captain of the ship which boarded them from Malta and then accidentaly or intentionally, as many suspect and as stated by some survivors, sank them by hitting the small boat. This person is still at large and believed to be living in France, still nobody is moving a finger to bring him to justice. Why? What is stopping Maltese and especially Italian Governments to arrest him?
Charles Sammut
Jun 28th 2009, 22:44
This racket had been going on for years. You pay $50 to the check in clerk to give you a boarding pass even though you don't have a valid visa. Same with immigration police.
When you arrive at Frankfurt, London, Brussels or wherever, you spend a few hours lounging in the arrivals hall. By that time a hundred aircraft would have arrived and departed. You go to the toilet and flush down your passport and proceed to immigration. You tell them that you don't know how you found yourself there and that you don't remember where you came from.
The good people will then put you up in a nice hotel and give you money to spend until they find you permanent accomodation paid by the generous taxpayers.
Unfortunately this stopped working because immigration police would stand at the aircraft door and not allow non-visa holders to leave the plane. So more risky routes and methods had to be adopted such as in this case with disastrous results..
Joe Fenech
Jun 28th 2009, 22:31
Now WONDER WHY India is becoming a super power..!! Well done folks! Get your people to keep up your good work.