Peru Appeals for Italian Captain's Extradition Over Oil Spill

Prosecutors from Peru on Tuesday announced that they have requested the extradition of the Italian captain who maneuvered the vessel that spilled thousands of barrels of oil on the country's coast.

Authorities claimed that the request for extradition of the Italian captain, identified as Giacomo Pisani, is a part of the investigation in connection to the tragic oil spill, according to an Associated Press news report.

Peru's Prosecutor's Office confirmed that the Italian captain of the vessel Mare Doricum left the country on March 9. His departure came a day after a hearing in which he was prohibited from leaving Peru.

Pisani and Repsol's local director Jaime Fernandez-Cuesta are among the several people who were investigated for the alleged crime of environmental pollution.

Details of the hearing involving the Italian captain were not mentioned by the Peruvian authorities.

Peru Files Lawsuit Against Repsol Over Oil Spill

The announcement of the Italian captain's extradition came days after Peru's government filed a lawsuit against the Spanish company Repsol and other companies regarding the tragic January oil spill on the country's coasts, CNA reported, citing AFP.

"These suits could create precedents for oil spills that cause damage and collective non-material damages due to environmental pollution of coastal areas," Julian Palacin said in a statement from the National Institute for the Defense of Competition and Protection of Intellectual Property (INDECOPI).

Palacin is the executive director of INDECOPI.

The said lawsuit was filed at Peru's 27th Civil Court in Lima. Six defendants were named, including Repsol, Mapfre Global Risks, and La Pampilla Refinery in Peru.

INDECOPIU is seeking a total of $4.5 billion in damages. Of that amount, $3 billion is for the environmental destruction of Peru's coast, while the other $1.5 billion will be compensation to consumers, locals, and others affected by the tragic oil spill.

However, the Spanish company Repsol called Peru's lawsuit baseless.

"(INDECOPI's) estimates are lacking the bare minimum needed to support the indicated figures," Repsol underscored.

Peru Oil Spill

It was not the first time that Peru imposed a legal move against the Spanish company and its executives.

In late January, prosecutors from Peru imposed a travel ban against the executives of Repsol, the company that oversees the tanker that caused an oil spill in the aftermath of the Tonga underwater volcanic eruption.

According to officials, at least 11,900 barrels of oil were spilled on January 15, dubbing it the worst ecological disaster.

The said oil spill affected both the biological ecosystem of the Peruvian oceans, as well as the livelihood of different sectors such as the fishermen.

According to reports, fishermen claim that at least 1,500 fishermen in the region only get to bring in about 10 percent of their usual catch.

At least 21 beaches were affected in the aftermath of the oil spill. Reports mentioned thousands of birds and fish were seen in the waters as well as a "huge" oil slick that is getting closer to the coast of Lima, Peru.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: 'Catastrophe': Peru Oil Spill Clean-Up to Take Weeks - From Al Jazeera