VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – A 13-year-old Maltese boy has been granted permission to return to Malta following an incident in which approximately €700,000 was thrown into the sea from a speedboat. The minor had been placed under the care of social services in Catania by order of an Italian court, while three other Maltese citizens—also involved in the incident—had already returned home.
Maltese Foreign Minister Chris Fearne confirmed the boy’s return in a post on the platform X yesterday, stating that the minor “is now on his way to Malta” following “weeks of intensive diplomatic efforts.” Fearne expressed his gratitude to the Maltese diplomatic service, the Ministry for Social Policy, the Office of the State Advocate, and the Maltese courts for their contributions. The minor had been aboard a Malta-registered speedboat with three adult men when, on July 29, the vessel ran out of fuel near Casuzze, off the coast of Ragusa.
The incident drew attention when an Italian Coast Guard patrol boat approached the drifting vessel, and one of the men on board began throwing bags containing cash into the sea. The sum, estimated at approximately €700,000, was wrapped in plastic. The money later washed ashore, prompting the Italian police to question the Maltese citizens. The men—including the boy’s father—subsequently returned to Malta. The father was subsequently arrested on charges of having violated the conditions of his bail in connection with another case.
– file photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
