Somali Pirates Charge for Expenses While Holding Ship for Ransom

[thundley4]

NAIROBI, Kenya —  A Somali governor says no ransom was paid for the release of an Italian tug boat that pirates held for four months.

But Sanag Governor Mohamed Said Nur told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the pirates were paid $270,000 for food and other supplies used to sustain the 16-member crew of the Buccaneer since April. The vessel was anchored off the coast of Sanag.

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini has said no ransom was paid for the vessel's release on Sunday.

Somali pirates are normally reimbursed for any expenses they incur as well as receiving a ransom for holding a ship. It is rare for them to accept payment for their expenses only.

Somali pirates receive an estimated ransom of up to $2 million a vessel.

  Fox News NOT The Onion.
 

[AllosaursRus]

WTF???? 270 thou for expenses to feed and house hostages? Naw, no ransom there!

[vesta111]

WTF???? 270 thou for expenses to feed and house hostages? Naw, no ransom there!

I did the math, it comes to about 1,000 pr week to feed and house each person for 4 months or so.

Now that is in some cases cheaper then putting your grandpa in a good quality nursing home.

3 shifts of guards for 4 months,

3 meals a day for 16 people,

cost of laundry and personal care products for 16 people,

medical and dental care for 16 people,

Costs of electricity heat and cooling,

entertainment, TV with cable perhaps extra security needed when an entertainer wants to amuse the 16 people.

As a believer in the basic good of man kind I know deep in my heart that all over the world prisoners are treated the same as we do do in the USA.

Naturally it most likely costs us a lot more then $1,000  a week to house our prisoners, and for some unknown reason at times they do RIOT demanding more stuff.

So How about all country's get together and have a jail swap.  We could send our lifers to a prison in Egypt, their prisoners come here.    BY-BY Charlie Manson.

Be interesting for the prisoners to compair life in in their home country's prisons and ours.