Simshar tragedy survivor Simon Bugeja and his wife Sharon this morning filed a judicial letter in which they “absolutely and categorically” denied the allegations and pretensions made by Fadumo Abdulle Qabobe in an official letter filed on June 9.

In her letter, Mrs Qabobe had claimed that her son Abdulrahman Abdala Gedi, 21, died in June 2008 as a result of Mr Bugeja's negligence, imprudence and lack of training in maritime safety.

In their letter, signed by lawyer Robert Abela, the Bugejas denied they were responsible for the incident which led to the sinking of the Simshar and Mr Gedi’s death in any way.

They said they were likewise victims of the tragedy in which they lost not just property but also family members and their future.

Mr Gedi died along with two other men and a boy a few days after the fishing boat, owned by Mr Bugeja, exploded and sank on the high seas on June 11, 2008.

The group survived the explosion and hung on to makeshift rafts made from debris from the wreck. Mr Gedi, who suffered extensive burns in the blast, was the first to die, followed by 33-year-old Noel Carabott, Mr Bugeja's father, 61-year-old Karmenu, and Simon Bugeja's son, 11-year-old Theo, whose body was never found.

The migrant's body was the last to be found on July 19, two days after the body of Mr Carabott was recovered. A day before, Mr Bugeja was found, barely alive, after having spent seven days at sea.

His son was with him but slipped from his hands the night before the rescue, according to what the survivor said.

The Bugejas called on Mrs Qabobe to regulate herself and avoid unnecessary expenses.

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