The Italian government on Monday denied a newspaper report that it had handed over £11 million in ransom money to obtain the release of three Italian women kidnapped in Iraq.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Pasquale Terracciano said that "I can only repeat what the foreign minister and other members of the government at the time said more than once, that the Italian government did not pay any ransoms". The then foreign minister, Gianfranco Fini, responded to
the report by saying: "With all due respect for The Times, I've nothing to add to what was said over and over again by the premier and my office".
The Times of London said on Monday that it had seen documents showing that Italy, France and Germany had paid a combined total of $45 million to free nine hostages kidnapped in Iraq. "All three governments have publicly denied paying ransom money," The Times wrote.
It said Italy paid $6 million for the release of Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena, kidnapped in February 2005 and freed a month later; and $5 million for the release of two female aid workers, Simona Pari and Simona Torretta, who were seized in September 2004 and held for 20 days.
The daily said it had seen "the list of payments" held by security officials in Baghdad who played a crucial role in the hostage negotiations.
It said these documents had also been seen by Western diplomats, who were angry because they believed the actions of the three countries risked encouraging the kidnapping of foreigners in Iraq. The daily quoted one senior envoy in Baghdad as saying: "In theory, we stand together in not rewarding kidnappers but in practice, it seems some administrations have parted with cash and so it puts other foreign nationals at risk from gangs who are confident that some governments do pay".
The Times said more than 250 foreign nationals had been kidnapped in Iraq since the 2003 US-led war. Of those, 135 were released, at least 44 were killed, six were rescued and three escaped. The fate of the others is not known. The French government joined Italy on Monday in denying
the ransom allegations. Italy has repeatedly denied media reports that it has handed over cash to obtain the release of abducted Italians.
It has lost four hostages in Iraq: security guard Fabrizio Quattrocchi who was executed by his captors in April 2004; left-wing freelance journalist Enzo Baldoni who was slain in August 2004; Italo-Iraqi businessman Ayad Anwar Wali who was killed in October 2004; and would-be aid worker and long-time British resident Salvatore Santoro who was killedin December 2004 while trying to reach a British NGO.
Three other Italian security guards kidnapped along with Quattrocchi were freed by US special forces in a June 2004 operation.
But Italy successfully negotiated the release of the Sgrena, Pari and Torretta.
Sgrena, a journalist who works for left-wing daily Il Manifesto, said on Monday that she knew nothing about a ransom.
"I don't put much faith in The Times' sources, given the things that happen in Baghdad... Ransoms might well have been paid but I've never found out if that was the case with me or the others," she said. "Besides, everything possible should be done to save the life of a hostage... Iraq isn't a normal country and there's no lawfulness of any sort so you can't cite the need to be lawful just when it comes to paying ransoms or negotiating
with insurgents," she said.
Sgrena was released on March 4, 2005 thanks to the mediation of Italian secret service official Nicola Calipari. Calipari was subsequently killed when US troops manning a temporary roadblock opened fire on the car carrying him, Sgrena and another agent to Baghdad airport.
The case triggered tensions between Italy and the US.
A joint investigation by Italian and US military experts failed to reach an agreed conclusion, with the American members clearing US soldiers of all responsibility and the Italians blaming the US's organisation of the roadblock. The former commissioner of the Italian Red Cross (CRI),
Maurizio Scelli, also denied The Times report.
Scelli, who played a key role in negotiating the release of Pari and Torretta, said that "no ransom was paid. If it (The Times) has proof, then I want to see it". He repeated his version that the two women were released in exchange for CRI medical care for wounded and sick Iraqis, particularly children.
Scelli triggered a storm in August 2005 when he first said the CRI had treated four presumed Iraqi terrorists and four of their children to secure the release of Pari and Torretta.
Scelli said the US was not informed of the operation while the Italian government, led by then premier Silvio Berlusconi, was only "informally" told.
But he said Calipari had been informed. Berlusconi subsequently stressed that neither the government nor any of its offices had "influenced or
conditioned" the CRI's actions which were "fully autonomous".
