BERLIN (AP) — German police arrested a man who allegedly acted as an accountant for Somali pirates blamed for the hijacking of an oil tanker in 2010, authorities said Monday.

The man, who was identified only by the initial ‘M’, was arrested Wednesday at a center for asylum seekers in the central city of Giessen, Lower Saxony state police said in a statement.

“According to initial investigations he was responsible for the seized ship’s food supply as well as the bookkeeping, which formed the basis for distributing the ransom money to the pirates involved,” police said, adding that the man had made a partial confession.

A court has ordered him held pending an indictment on charges of kidnapping and serious bodily harm, which can carry a prison sentence of five to 15 years.

Police said the man’s fingerprints were found on the Marida Marguerite, a German-operated tanker carrying $10 million worth of fuel when it was hijacked in early May 2010.

The Somali pirates allegedly tortured the 22 crewmembers “in indescribable ways” for hours at a time before receiving several million dollars’ ransom and releasing the ship on Dec. 27, 2010, police said.

German authorities said the man’s arrest was the result of close international cooperation to crack down on piracy in the Gulf of Aden. A court in the United States last year ordered another man involved in the seizure of the Marida Marguerite to serve a dozen life sentences in prison.

Somali national Mohammad Saaili Shibin was also involved in the 2009 hijacking of a U.S. yacht during which four Americans were shot to death.

Source:AP

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  1. BURAO, Somalia May 13, 2013 (Garowe Online) – At least one person was killed Monday in Burao, a trade town in northwestern Somalia that is also the second largest city in the breakaway region of Somaliland, Garowe Online reports.

    Witnesses in Burao told the BBC Somali Service that soldiers with the Rapid Reaction Unit (RRU) fired bullets to disperse protestors. The protest began initially with angry truck drivers who disagreed with local authorities over an order banning the truck drivers to remove sand from a particular location.

    “The protest was peaceful…Somaliland police detained some of the truck drivers but this led to more people, students and women, joining the protest. Then soldiers from the RRU opened fire and killed one male civilian and wounded a second male civilian, and this worsened the protest and protestors began throwing stones at the security forces,” said one witnesses on BBC.

    RRU is a special unit trained by British security specialists that was recently deployed in Burao but is a common sight in Hargeisa, the Somaliland capital, according to media reports.

    Local reports noted that protestors burned tires, shut off main roads and caused damage to local businesses. However, witnesses did not report any looting during the Burao riots.

    Authorities in Somaliland deployed military troops on the main roads to regain control of Burao, local sources reported. Burao is the home region of Somaliland leader Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo.

    Burao regional officials held a pre ss conference, ur gin g calm and sending condolences to the families of the deceased and wounded, while one Somal iland MP condemned t he action of RRU soldiers , local media report ed.

    Somaliland, located in northwestern Somalia, unilaterally declared independence from the rest of the country in 1991 but has not been recognized internationally.

  2. This was unfortunate incident, but why don't you talk about the air bombardment by Farooleh to his citizens in Bosaso this week.? Majeerteenia is burning while Somaliland is at peace with itself whoever you are.

    I do not believe that the Police use life bullets to disperse demonstrators, and the dead was just sitting in a cafe when the pullet hit him. That is too bad, and should be investigated. Any unit that goes out to deal with demonstrators, should be accountable of what they do, and should be checked the rounds that each police man is given and then counted to know who fire and who is not. That is the only way we can minimize this kind of incidents.

    • "Air bombardment" what!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      I didn't know PL had an air force thats news to me.

      Please enlight me more.

  3. I bet you he is a majerteen. Filthy darood scum i hope they throw the book at him.

      • Yeah, is that why we are competing with the rest of Somalia?

        We are only a sub clan and yet we are a major power house in Somalia.

        Can any Isaaq sub clan achieve what we have done?.

        I highly doubt it.

  4. On second thought, I believe the IC should issue a warrant of arrest to Dr.Faroole who is main beneficial of the ransom taken by the pirates from day one. Let the IC check the Google Earth and compare Puntland before the piracy and now, and how the Puntlanders benefited this lucrative business.

    Many countries in the west know and have the record of high-profile politicians who have been involved this, but turning a blind eye.

    • And i believe the IC should issue a warant arrest for Siilwayne for war crimes against Dhulbahante and supporting terrorism as well as other Id@#@r leaders.

      We all know the leader of al shaythan is an isaaq man by the name Ahmed Gadone who is responsible for countless terror bombing including suicide bombing and displacing hundrend of thousand of south Somalis from their homes.

      And his doing all of this in the name of his clan.