Radio Erena: 24 August 2017
The Italian police authorities have reportedly launched an investigation on Fr. Mussie Zerai – an ordained Catholic Priest of Eritrean decent, for allegedly being involved in illegal migration of refugees to European countries, reported the news media of the country.
Fr. Zerai is famously known for his work in saving migrants from the Mediterranean sea when they get accidents as they try to cross over to Europe.
Fr. Zerai, who was nominated for a Noble Prize in 2015 for his work in saving hundreds of migrants in the Mediterranean sea and his efforts to help resettle troubled refugees.
In an interview with the French news agency correspondent in Rome, the Catholic Priest said he has been allegedly accused of being involved in illegal immigration and is being investigated by a prosecutor from an Italian city of Trapani. He said that he has never heard of such allegations over him.
Fr. Mussie Zerai, who runs a registered not-for-profit organization known as Agencia Habesha whose goal is merely to save people’s lives, denies the allegations against him.
According to several reports, Fr. Zerai is known to the Italian Coast Guards and other rescue agencies for reporting accidents in the Mediterranean Sea as he hears them from the immigrants whose fishing boats used to cross to Europe are stranded in the middle of the sea.
It is to be recalled that the Italian authorities have wrongfully put another Eritrean man – Medhanie Tesfamariam Berhe, in custody for his alleged involvement in trafficking migrants from Khartoum, Sudan to European countries.
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