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Captain Morgan Changed Registration Days Before It Became Makeshift Floating Detention Centre

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Captian Morgan had changed its registration status from tourist vessel to workboat days before it was tasked with housing migrants out at sea at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Captain Morgan’s general manager Kevin Zammit Briffa confirmed the detail to the courts, according to a report by Malta Today. He was testifying in a constitutional case started by a group of 32 migrants who say they were detained in “a floating prison”.

During the start of 2020, three Captain Morgan vessels were used as a makeshift floating detention centre. At points, the government was paying up to €9,000 a day to turn the Captain Morgan vessels into makeshift sea-based homes.

Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri had previously confirmed that Captain Morgan and Supreme Cruises charged a daily fee of €3,000 and €6,500 for each vessel respectively. The fees were issued out through direct order and did not follow any bidding procedure.

Captain Morgan had sent out three harbour cruise boats for the mission. The first was sent out on 30th April, the second on 7th May, and the third on 15th May.

The plan was a temporary measure to ease diplomatic tensions and humanitarian concerns brought on by the government’s decision to close its ports during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The registration change allowed the vessels to stay far beyond the three miles offshore limit put on tourist vessels. 

“I don’t know exactly how [we were awarded the deal]. I know that there was a request from the government and we complied.”

Security, Zammit Briffa confirmed, had nothing to do with Captain Morgan and was provided by outside contractors. Sources have told Lovin Malta that Kerber Security Ltd., owned by Ronald Axisa, was being paid through direct order to provide security guards for the vessel in lieu of a Maltese state presence. No actual figures were even given.

The asylum seekers and irregular migrants on board were eventually brought to Malta on 7th June amid reports of growing unrest on the harbour cruise boats following poor weather. 

Until today, the government refused to divulge how much it had spent on the mission. Rough estimates indicate that Captain Morgan could have charged close to €285,000 for their role while Supreme was paid €65,000 for ten days of operations.

What do you think. of the detail?

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Julian is the former editor of Lovin Malta and has a particular interest in politics, the environment, social issues, and human interest stories.

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