Arctic Sea hijacker says Estonian businessman was brains behind incident

Eerik-Niiles Kross denies involvement in piracy

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Dmitrijs Savins, a Latvian accused of participation in the hijacking of the cargo vessel, the Arctic Sea, says that the idea for the hijacking of the ship and the abduction of the crew came from the Eerik-Niiles Kross, a reknowned Estonian businessman. Savins says that the only aim of the crime was to get the ransom money.
      Savins has admitted to having made calls from the Finnish-owned and Maltese-registered ship, demanding a ransom after the vessel had been hijacked in the Baltic Sea while en route from the Finnish port of Pietarsaari to Algeria.
      The hijacking was ended by the Russian Navy, the Russian crew was rescued, and the suspected hijackers were arrested.
     
On Friday, Savins testified at the ongoing trial in Moscow, under an agreement made with the prosecution. Under the plea agreement he was given a seven-year prison sentence. The maximum sentence for piracy under Russian law is 15 years.
      “I don’t know how I can prove this, but the organiser was an Estonian businessman Eerik-Niiles Kross, a former civil servant, who lives in Estonia”, Savins said, according to the news agency Interfax.
      Savins said that two other men were also involved in the plan.
     
Cross denied the charges on Friday. He is a well-known businessman in Estonia, and an expert in surveillance and security. Recently he has made headlines through his support for Georgia.
      “The claim that I ordered the Arctic Sea hijacking is ridiculous”, Kross said to Helsingin Sanomat on Friday. He sees that the allegation that he was involved is a deliberate attempt to blacken his reputation.
      “The story was started in the Russian press, and the information did not get there by accident.”
     
Kross added that investigators into the hijacking had not been in contact with him. Kross is the the son of Jaan Kross, Estonia’s internationally best-known author.
      Russian officials said on Friday that they would investigate Kross’s possible involvement in the hijacking. Stavins says that he and Kross were old acquaintances and business partners before the current economic crisis, and that Kross asked Savins to take part in the hijacking, because of his seafaring experience.
      Savins says that he was promised EUR 100,000 for organising the hijacking, and EUR 10,000 for each of the other hijackers.
      He also said that the sums were later doubled.

More on this subject:
 BACKGROUND: Six hijackers still waiting trial in Russia

Previously in HS International Edition:
  Director of shipping line: Arctic Sea probably hijacked (13.8.2009)
  No bullet holes found on Arctic Sea (4.1.2010)
  Hijacked freighter Arctic Sea handed back to Finnish owners (30.10.2009)
  Russian Navy rescues Arctic Sea crew near Cape Verde (18.8.2009)

Helsingin Sanomat