The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

ITALY’S Honorary Consul in The Bahamas Alberto Suighi said as far as he knows, all the available information on the deaths of two Bahamian men who died in Italy has been forwarded to the Bahamian government on behalf of the families.

He told The Tribune that “everybody has been working on this” and he was personally involved from day one. He insisted as far as he knew, everything that was available was passed on when questioned about Italy’s responsiveness.

Mr Suighi’s comments came after Foreign Affair Minister Fred Mitchell expressed frustration with the Italian government for its continued delay in handing over the files on the investigation of the tragedy.

Mr Mitchell told reporters in April that the government had requested the reports from the Italian officials.

However, last week it was reported that Bahamian officials have yet to receive them.

Blair John, 28, and Alrae Ramsey, 29, were found in the Po River in Turin, Italy on June 4 and 5, 2019.

Cathleen Rahming, John’s mother, expressed unhappiness that more than three years since her son’s death, Bahamian officials have yet to receive files related to the investigation from Italian authorities.

The honorary consul for Italy explained yesterday all the efforts that were made.

“Everybody has been working on this, and I was personally involved from day one. As a matter of fact, the family reached out to me in the beginning when their sons were not to be found. And then all the authorities were alerted, eventually they were found. And we assisted with all the translation of all the documents, the autopsy, etc,” he said.

“It’s been three years, and whatever, as far as I know, whatever was available was forwarded to the Bahamian government on behalf of the families. As the minister said last week, still not satisfied that all the information was obtained, and the minister reached out directly to the authority in Rome. But there is full availability from our government to supply whatever information.”

Asked what further information he thinks the minister wanted that he did not get, Mr Suighi replied: “I have no idea what other information would be available. It is a tragedy and there are no witnesses and I don’t know what else can be made available that has not been done.”

While the autopsy reported that their deaths were likely accidental as a result of drowning, Mrs Rahming has rejected that explanation and continues to seek answers.

Some speculate the men died due to a hate crime.

In response to that accusation, Mr Suighi asserted: “That is absolutely the wrong perception. There is nothing like that. I don’t even think about anything like that. I don’t know what caused the death of these two guys. The death was for drowning. So somehow, they fell into the river. There was no sign of any injury, any fight or anything. It’s just a tragedy.”

He explained that for the Italian authorities, the case was closed but it would be reopened if the families or the Bahamian government on their behalf hired a lawyer to reopen the case.

“This has been done so everything that we just discussed is in the process but unfortunately there is no information on what really happened that night,” he added.