Stricken cruise liner captain DID abandon ship before passengers AND refused to go back when ordered

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The Costa Concordia's captain did abandon ship before hundreds of his passengers, it has emerged via a transcript of a conversation between him and the local coastguard.


Francesco Schettino, who will be questioned today by investigating magistrate Valeria Montesarchio, also lied to the Captain of the Port of Livorno's Coastguard when asked how many people were on board the sinking liner, Italian media reported today.


He initially replied '40', when there were actually hundreds still at risk, and when further questioned admitted he was not even there.


He then ignored an order to go back onto the sinking ship - with some reports suggesting he volunteered to return, but only to pick up the black box.


The publication of the transcripts by Il Fatto Quotidiano newspaper comes as it was revealed junior officers onboard led a 'mutiny' after the ship struck a reef and captain Francesco Schettino dithered in giving the order to abandon the stricken vessel.


According to coastguards Schettino did not give the crucial instructions until 10.58pm on Friday night, more than one hour after the initial impact with the rocks, and so wasting valuable time that contributed to the loss of six lives.


Officials say that during those chaotic minutes, the bungling skipper had tried to palm them off and minimise the dangerous situation it was facing - and that it was his juniors who realised the impending disaster and ordered passengers and crew to the lifeboats.


Proof of the 'mutiny' came from coastguard vessels at the scene, who reported seeing several lifeboats in the water before Schettino had officially given the order at just before 11pm.


Italian authorities believe the fact that so many lifeboats were seen in the water in the water just ten minutes after Schettino had ordered them to be launched is proof that they had already been lowered before his command.


A Coastguard source said: 'Ten minutes is just not enough time to have launched the number of boats that were seen in the water. That's why we believe that once the ship had started to list, crew members realised the seriousness of the situation and ordered passengers to the lifeboats ahead of the captain giving the order.'


The latest claims follow the publication of transcripts of several heated conversations between coastguards and Schettino, which purportedly took place on Friday night. The first call to the boat took place at 9.49pm, where the coastguard asked what the situation was. The boat had run aground some 30 minutes before.


They did not speak again until 0.42am, when Schettino was asked how many people were on board. He replied '40'. The coastguard, surprised, asked how there were so few people left on board, and Schettino replied: 'I'm not on board because we have abandoned the ship.'



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