On Monday 27 September, EU NAVFOR welcomed the decision of the Kenya authorities to prosecute four suspected pirates, interdicted by the EU NAVFOR Spanish warship SPS GALICIA.
On Friday 24 September, the boarding team from the EU NAVFOR Spanish ship SPS GALICIA approached a suspicious Kenyan dhow off the eastern coast of Somalia. After investigation, it transpired that there were nine Kenyan crew members and one Somali translator being held by four suspected pirates. The crew was liberated and all 14 people were transferred to the EU NAVFOR Spanish warship.
On its arrival in Mombasa, Kenya, the EU NAVFOR ship SPS GALICIA will transfer the four suspected pirates to the Kenyan authorities. The former hostages will be transferred to the Kenyan Police and Prosecutor to give their statements, and thereby assist in building the prosecution case.
“Kenya is one of our strongest partners in the region”, says Major General Buster Howes, EU NAVFOR Operation Commander. “Since the transfer agreement, 75 suspected pirates have been transferred to Kenya for prosecution and EU NAVFOR is pleased to know that 14 suspected pirates have already been convicted and sentenced to 5 years imprisonment each. I hope we will continue to tackle this regional problem together.”
With the addition of this pirate group to date, EU NAVFOR will have transferred 10 groups of suspected pirates comprising 79 individuals to the Kenyan authorities for prosecution in the Kenyan national court.
Prosecutions are conducted by Kenyan prosecutors under Kenyan Law before a single magistrate. EU NAVFOR officers work in close cooperation with Kenyan prosecutors and the local police to prepare the prosecution case. In all cases, the accused persons have the benefit of legal representation.