KOCHI: Giving a sensational twist to the Enrica Lexie incident, the crew of the vessel are moving against the Italian Navy personnel responsible for the killing of two fishermen off the Kerala coast three days ago.‘Express’ has learnt that the crew of 25 have denied any culpability in the firing from the tanker that killed the unarmed fishermen, thereby laying the blame squarely on the six personnel from the San Marco Battalion of the Italian Navy on board the vessel.Sources told ‘Express’ that, according to the pact signed by an Italian Commercial Shipowners Association with the Italian forces, the master of the ship or the shipowner is not responsible for the actions of the security personnel. The pact, known as the NMP Contract, says that a certain number of security personnel from the Italian Defence Force should be deployed on a ship for a specific period. It was under this statute that six security persons were deployed on the Enrica Lexie, the sources said.The crew has claimed that the firing was carried out without any order from the master of the ship; and hence, the crew cannot take the responsibility for the incident.“The crew had heard the noise of the gunshots while sailing. But they came to know of the gravity of the issue only when the Indian Coast Guard intercepted the ship,” highly placed sources said. The company authorities have expressed their willingness to cooperate with the investigation.Meanwhile, the advocate for the shipping company V J Mathew told ‘Express’ that taking action against the crew members was not justifiable.“It has been agreed by the police and the owners of the vessel that the crew could be interrogated at the guest house of the Cochin Port Trust. Taking action against the Naval personnel is something that has to be decided at the diplomatic level,” Mathew said.Meanwhile, senior officials of the Italian Navy reached Kochi on Saturday. The Italian naval delegation included Italian Consul General in Mumbai Giampaolo Cutillo, Defence Attache in Delhi Franco Favre, Italian Navy managing director Alessandro Pirolli, Chief of Naval Headquarters Mario Mattesi, Capo Squadra Navale division commando Francesco Marino and Capo Squadra Navale legal advisor Jean Paul Pierenni. They visited the vessel and held talks with ADGP P Chandrasekharan, Kochi City Police Commissioner M R Ajith Kumar and Kollam SP Sam Christy Daniel.
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