Daniel Noboa says Michele Sensi-Contugi stood by him during his toughest presidential moments as Ecuador prepares a state funeral for the intelligence chief
Ecuador has declared three days of national mourning following the death of National Intelligence Center Director General Michele Sensi-Contugi, who was killed alongside his wife, Stephany Hollihan, in a helicopter crash in Samburu County, Kenya.
President Daniel Noboa paid an emotional tribute to the couple on Thursday, August 20, describing them as close friends whose deaths had left a profound personal loss for him and his family.
“The accident in Kenya took two friends from me, but above all, it took two people who were like family to us,” Noboa said.
Sensi-Contugi, an Italian-Ecuadorian businessman and head of Ecuador's National Intelligence Center, was among seven people killed when the helicopter crashed near Mount Ololokwe on Wednesday...
Daniel Noboa says Michele Sensi-Contugi stood by him during his toughest presidential moments as Ecuador prepares a state funeral for the intelligence chief
Ecuador has declared three days of national mourning following the death of National Intelligence Center Director General Michele Sensi-Contugi, who was killed alongside his wife, Stephany Hollihan, in a helicopter crash in Samburu County, Kenya.
President Daniel Noboa paid an emotional tribute to the couple on Thursday, August 20, describing them as close friends whose deaths had left a profound personal loss for him and his family.
“The accident in Kenya took two friends from me, but above all, it took two people who were like family to us,” Noboa said.
Sensi-Contugi, an Italian-Ecuadorian businessman and head of Ecuador's National Intelligence Center, was among seven people killed when the helicopter crashed near Mount Ololokwe on Wednesday morning.
The aircraft was carrying six tourists and Kenyan pilot Josh Outram while travelling from Loisaba Conservancy towards the Ewaso Nyiro area, according to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority.
Noboa said Sensi-Contugi had remained close to him during some of the most difficult periods of his presidency and had played an important role in helping him make difficult decisions.
“Michele was by my side during some of the most difficult moments of these past years. Loyal, brave, and steadfast, she stood by me without hesitation when it came to making decisions that few were willing to face,” the Ecuadorian president said.
The president also described Hollihan, a fashion designer and founder of Sensi Studio, as part of the close relationship he and his wife, Lavinia, had developed with the couple.
Noboa extended his condolences to the couple's children, promising that they would continue to receive support following the deaths of their parents.
“There was nothing more important to them than their children,” he said, adding that the children would not be left alone.
Ecuador's government has since announced three days of national mourning in honour of Sensi-Contugi, while arrangements for a state funeral are underway.
The crash also claimed the lives of José Suárez, Roger Duarte, Adam Hlavaty, Henry Parra and Outram, the Kenyan pilot.
Suárez was a senior Telemundo executive, while the other passengers included Miami-based business executives.
Meanwhile, Kenyan authorities have launched investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash. The Air Accident Investigation Department is leading the probe, with the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority confirming that the aircraft was a Eurocopter EC130 B4.
Investigators are expected to establish what caused the helicopter to go down in the Samburu area as authorities continue efforts to piece together the circumstances surrounding the fatal flight.
