London: A recent independent investigation has suggested that the towing of the boat by the nation's coast guard may have contributed to the sinking of a migrant boat off the coast of Greece.
A fishing trawler carrying hundreds of people sank off the Greek coast on June 14 while en route from Libya to Italy, leaving about 500 people missing. 104 passengers from the ship were taken to Greece after rescue operations.
However, a joint investigation by The Guardian, German broadcaster ARD/NDR/Funk, Greek media outlet Solomon, and Berlin research agency Forensis has uncovered new evidence surrounding the incident, suggesting inconsistencies in the Greek coast guard's account.
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In contrast to what the coast guard claimed, the investigation asserted that the trawler had been towed using a 3D model of the boat's course based on survivor accounts.
The investigation also revealed that a coast guard vessel that was docked in a port that was closer to the fishing trawler than the incident failed to respond to the incident and that Frontex, the EU agency that oversees border and coast guard operations, had three times tried to contact the Greek government but received no response.
Additionally, information from the Greek coast guard's log, witness testimonies, flight and maritime data, satellite imagery, and eyewitness videos were all used in the investigation.
The coast guard and survivor accounts differ significantly in regards to the fishing boat's abrupt westward movement.
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The investigation argued that the Greek rescue boat had reached the trawler at the time it had changed direction, indicating that a tow had been attached. The official coast guard account claimed that the vessel had changed directions of its own accord. The coast guard had informed migrants they were being led westward, according to numerous survivors.
On the fishing trawler, other survivors who were below deck described a second towing incident that occurred after the boat had been still for an hour.
Despite the fact that the boat's engine had been turned off, the trawler continued to move forward "like a rocket," according to survivors, which the investigation deemed to be additional proof of a towing attempt.
One survivor remarked, "I feel that they have tried to push us out of Greek water so that their responsibility ends."
According to testimony provided by survivors to prosecutors, the coast guard made two attempts at towing, according to Greek Council for Refugees attorney Maria Papamina, who is defending a group of survivors.
The EU provided 90% of the funding for the coast guard vessel, known as 920, which was present during the incident as part of a plan to enhance border operations.
The ship has thermal cameras to record operations, but the crew claimed they were too busy focusing on the rescue to record any video of the incident.
The Greek account also claimed that because the crew of the fishing trawler had declined assistance, there had not previously been a search and rescue operation for the vessel.
Before the rescue attempt and sinking, the trawler had been captured on camera by both Frontex and the coast guard.
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After the incident, nine Egyptians who were aboard the trawler were detained on suspicion of various crimes, including voluntary manslaughter.
The estimated 750 passengers on the trawler, almost half of whom were Pakistanis, travelled via the North Africa-Italy route, which is becoming increasingly popular for people smugglers.
The father of a victim, Ahmed Farouq, claimed that the Greek coast guard was to blame for the sinking.
They wanted it to sink, he said. Why weren't the people saved first? Don't let us drown, but let them deport us if they don't want illegal immigrants