20100918
reuters

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya has opened an investigation into an incident last week in which one of its patrol boats opened fire on an Italian fishing vessel and has also suspended the boat's captain, the foreign ministry said.

The shooting was an embarrassment for Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, whose government had donated the patrol boat to Libya and who has come under fire from the opposition for forging close ties with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said this week Tripoli had apologised for the September 12 shooting, but the foreign ministry statement -- Libya's first public comment on the incident -- made was no mention of an apology.

The statement announced that a special committee had begun an investigation into the "unfortunate" incident.

"The captain of the Libyan vessel has been suspended from duties and he is now under investigation," it added. "The special committee will hear testimony from all parties concerned with the incident."

No one on board the fishing vessel was hurt in the shooting, but the captain told Italian media that machine gun bullets had ricocheted around the boat and his crew was lucky to be alive.