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Ransom demanded for seamen
21/07/2007 21:11 - (SA)
Copenhagen - A ransom of 1.5 million dollars has been demanded for the release of five Danish seamen abducted by pirates off Somalia early June, reports said on Saturday.
The Danica White was en route from Dubai to Mombasa in Kenya when armed pirates ordered the vessel to head to the coast of Somalia.
The ship owner H Folmer og Co has however no means to pay the ransom and has large debts, the BT newspaper reported.
"We are a small shipping company and struggling for our survival," Uffe M Jensen, co-manager, told the newspaper.
The Danish foreign ministry is also opposed to paying a ransom for fears it would generate more kidnappings.
The ransom sum was mentioned in an e-mail that the captain of the Danica White sent to BT some three weeks ago. The newspaper's managing editor Arne Ullum said the information was withheld in order not to endanger the hostages or efforts to secure money.
The decision to publish the sum on Saturday was made after BT established that the shopping company lacked sufficient funds to pay the ransom, Ullum said.
The shipping company and Danish Foreign Ministry have kept a low profile and released little information about their efforts to secure the release of the seamen.
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