As Previously Reported in the Jewish Voice:  Mossad Agent was not in Italy for a Birthday Party

Edited by: Fern Sidman

After a boating accident on Lake Maggiore in northern Italy that left people dead including a former Mossad agent from Israel, the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera reported that it was possible that the Israeli and Italian intelligence agents who were on the ill fated vessel had gathered to spy on a Russian money transfer to Iran, as was reported by Israel National News on Thursday.

The web site for the Italian newspaper stated that “Russian figures” have recently transferred their investments from Lake Como to luxury hotels on Lake Maggiore, where the shipwreck occurred, the INN report said.

MK Ram Ben-Barak (Yesh Atid), who in the past served as Vice Mossad Chief, told Reshet Bet about the Mossad agent who was killed in the wreck. “He was not there for a birthday party or vacation. It wasn’t an operation, but it was connected to his work,” he said, as was reported by INN.

Erez Shimoni, 54, was the Mossad agent that was killed when the boat he was on with Italian intelligence agents capsized over the weekend. The others who were killed included Italian intelligence agents Tiziana Barnobi, 53, and Claudio Alonzi, 62, as well as Anna Bozhkova, 50, a Russian national who was married to the boat’s skipper.

CNN reported on Tuesday that the boat’s captain, Claudio Carminati, is under investigation for culpable manslaughter, according to the Italian prosecutor. Italy’s military police, the Carabinieri, are assisting with the investigation, the prosecutor’s office told CNN.

Carminati, 10 years older than his wife, with extensive experience in various commercial activities, from clothing stores to pastry shops, has an excellent command of the Bulgarian language from previous work in Sofia as well as French, according to a report on the tellerreport.com web site. The tellerreport.com obtained its information from the El Mundo newspaper. Carminati was behind the wheel of the ill fated ship over the weekend.

CNN affiliate Sky Tg24 also reported on Tuesday that the 16-meter (52-foot) houseboat was carrying 24 people at over capacity when an apparent waterspout struck it, causing it to capsize.

The report originally stated that passengers had been reportedly celebrating a birthday party when the boat, traveling between the Italian towns of Lisanza and Dormelletto, capsized, according to Sky Tg24. Italy’s security services said that, “The two employees, belonging to the intelligence department, were taking part in a convivial meeting organized to celebrate the birthday of one of the group.” Lake Maggiore is a popular destination for tourists and is shared by Italy and Switzerland.

Some of the party managed to swim to the shore, according Sky Tg24, adding that, although five were taken to the hospital, none of the survivors sustained any serious injuries, as was reported by CNN. Divers and a helicopter were also used as part of the search and rescue operation, according to the local fire service.

Immediately following the incident, Israel and Italy covered their tracks: the injured were quickly removed from the hospitals and hotel rooms so their personal identities and details would not be discovered, INN reported.  Israel sent a special airplane that landed in Milan and reportedly returned ten Israeli agents to Israel.

INN also reported on Thursday that Erez Shimoni was laid to rest on Wednesday at the Ashkelon military cemetery. On Monday night, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the person killed on the ship was a retired Israeli security service employee.

“Due to his service in the agency, no further details are available,” the Mossad wrote in a statement, adding that “the Mossad has lost a dear, dedicated and professional colleague who, for decades, devoted his life to the security of the State of Israel, even after his retirement.”

The Corriere della Sera newspaper reported earlier in the week that the boat should not have been in the water because extreme weather, including thunderstorms, had begun in the area more than two hours earlier, and other boats had returned to shore long before the accident occurred, according to a report in the Jerusalem Post. Authorities had not yet retrieved the boat, the report said.

“I heard screams for help, desperate screams. I saw many swimming in the icy water,” said retiree Franco Lora, as was indicated by the tellerreport.com.

“I immediately left in the boat, but the boat could no longer be seen, it had already been swallowed by the lake. You could only see pieces of wood and chairs floating around,” said Daniele Piccaluga, owner of the shipyard of the same name.

Advertising for Claudio Carminati’s business on Lake Maggiore, included that “we sail even in case of rain.”

It has not been ruled out that there had been modifications to the hull to add additional space for passengers, at the top of the ship, which the ongoing investigation will determine as well as whether those changes were in accordance with the regulations or not, even if they could have amplified the impact of the storm, according to information provided by the tellerreport.com.