Somali pirates say they will release Greek ship
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Pirates announced on Thursday (October 29th) that they have agreed to a ransom for a Greek ship that was abducted in May, and plan to release the vessel and its crew of 24 soon. “We have agreed to accept a ransom of $3.5m. We are waiting for the money,” a pirate identified only as Hassan said in a telephone conversation with Reuters. He added that he and his accomplices plan to leave the vessel within 48 hours. The Ariana, transporting about 35,000 tonnes of soybeans, was abducted early on May 2nd, southwest of the Seychelles, en route from Brazil to the Middle East, with 24 Ukrainians onboard. The ship, sailing under a Maltese flag, is owned by the Greek-registered company All Oceans Shipping. (Reuters – 29/10/09)
Source: SETimes.com
