The master of the ship Enrica Lexie , from which two Italian marines allegedly shot dead two Malayali fishermen in February 2012, told the National Investigation Agency (NIA) that he did not have prior knowledge of the shooting. Vitelli Umberto, the ship’s master, told the NIA that he had been in the navigation area when the incident occurred.
He opened an alarm and rushed to the spot after he heard the commotion that followed the shooting.
Umberto’s statement was supported by four other crew members who also deposed before the NIA. The crew’s statements suggest that the two marines Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone may have violated the protocol of informing the bridge when approached by seemingly hostile vessels.
