USA: The Somali pirate suspect who was captured in the aftermath of the 'Maersk Alabama' incident has pleaded not guilty to ten charges in a New York Court.
Abde Wale Abdul Kadhir Muse has been charged with piracy, holding a hostage for ransom and armed hijacking among other charges.
Somali pirates seized the 'Maersk Alabama', a US-flagged ship on April 8, 2009. Of the 21 crew on board the vessel, pirates took its Captain, Richard Phillips hostage.
On April 9, Mr Muse boarded US Navy ship 'Bainbridge' to negotiate a ransom for Captain Phillips. While he was onboard 'Bainbridge', US Navy SEALs killed three pirates and freed Captain Phillips. The US Navy captured Mr Muse and brought him into US custody.
Since then, there has been much controversy surrounding the young pirate's age. Mr Muse mother said that her son was 16 years old but prosecutors argued that he was at least 18 years old. A US judge ruled late last month that Mr Muse should be tried as an adult.
Mr Muse, who has had difficulty understanding communications with his lawyers despite the presence of a translator, will attend his next hearing on September 17, the BBC reported.
