Lebanese-owned MV Sea Horse which has been held by armed Somali pirates for more than a month docked at the Kenya's port of Mombasa on Tuesday.
Bernard Odemba, a Kenya Ports Authority captain who steered MV Sea Horse across Likoni channel into the port, said there was clear evidence that pirates had used force to intimidate the 20-man crew.
"There are bullet marks on the walls and some window panes have been shattered. The pirates stole 20,000 U.S. dollars in cash from the crew and took all their clothes," he told journalists in Mombasa.
Odemba said the captain told him that the owner of the ship paid about 200,000 dollars as ransom for the release of the ship that was headed for Mombasa to collect relief cargo destined for Somalia at the time of hijacking, about 480 km off Kenyan coastline.
The Sea Horse which was seized by pirates off the Horn of Africa on April 14 is a Lebanese-owned freighter, flying a Togolese flag. The pirates attacked the vessel "on three or four skiffs."
The ship had been held for over a month, during which crew members, comprising Arabs and Indians were robbed of all their belongings, Odemba said.
About two weeks ago, U.S. navy snipers killed three pirates to free a captain of a U.S. vessel who had been held captive for five days, after which pirates vowed to avenge.
"The ship captain said that pirates have become more violent and are stealing virtually everything from the ships they hold," said Odemba. "They siphoned all the oil and water and crew had to open the hatches to trap rain water for use."
The ship would undergo some repairs as the engine was malfunctioning and receive supplies, he added.
Somali pirates have over the past year hijacked dozens of ships, taken millions of dollars in ransom payment.
Insecurity in the Somali waters have pushed up insurance premiums and resulted in high freight costs.
Shipping companies last year handed over about 80 million dollars in ransom payments to Somali pirates.
The Horn of Africa nation has been without an effective government since 1991, fuelling the lawlessness which has allowed the pirates to thrive.
Source:Xinhua
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