The revealing statements of the survivors of the fatal shipwreck in Pylos, which led to the arrest of the nine defendants who are facing serious charges of slave trade, were published by SKAI in the main news bulletin. The survivors describe how they were intimidated by one of them even holding a pipe and also the role that each of the arrested had.

“From the photographs you show me, I recognize No. 70 as the person who took the helm when the captain rested and was second in command of the ship after the captain. We were all very afraid of him. No. 64 was the person who fixed the machine when it broke down. The people with Nos 56 57 74 83, 84 and 94 were the people who gave us food and water who moved freely inside the ship and shouted at us and scared us” says one of the survivors.

“The person with number 84 was cursing us because he wanted to command. The person with number 94 was asking for our money and holding a pipe to bully us.” another survivor testified.

Their testimonies are also shocking minutes before the fishing boat sank dragging hundreds of migrants to their deaths.

“While I was sitting on my knees reading wishes, I suddenly felt the boat tilt to one side. He started pouring water. Then we all moved to the other side and because the weight went to the other side the boat started to sink. Some jumped into the sea and some others held on from various places. Those who did not manage to get out sank into the water with the boat” describes being rescued.

“At one point I had heard the captain say that we were 747 people of which 500 were Pakistani nationals. They gave us little food and dirty water” states.

Survivors are reported though and in slave traders’ payments. “I gave a Pakistani man 8,000 euros to arrange my trip to Italy. After fifteen days and after traveling for eight hours in vans they took us all to a beach in Libya. There in the sea about two nautical miles from the shore was an old fishing boat. We set out early on Saturday morning on our journey, with about six hundred to six hundred and fifty persons” he said saved.

On Monday at the prosecutor’s office the 9 defendants

All the defendants will be brought to the prosecutor’s office on Monday morning, with the charges of forming a criminal organization related to the illegal trafficking of irregular immigrants, causing a shipwreck by negligence and endangering life.

Investigations are ongoing

At the same time, searches continue today in international waters, 47 nautical miles southwest of Pylos, to locate any missing persons, after the sinking of the fishing vessel. A frigate of the navy, three ships sailing by and a helicopter of the port are taking part in the investigations. However, so far the searches have been fruitless.