Was Captain trying to impress Domnica Cemortan on cruise ship

Mystery: Moldovan Domnica Cemortan (left), 25, was on the bridge with captain Francesco Schettino when the Costa Concordia crashed

The 25-year-old blonde, identified as Domnica Cemortan, was invited onto the bridge as the cruise liner sailed perilously close to Giglio, in what was apparently a ‘salute’ to an old friend of the captain’s and a favour to the ship’s head waiter, whose family were from the island.

The Italian press has found another fascinating aspect to take advantage of almost a week after the ship Costa Concordia ran aground off the coast of the islands Giulio, in the Tuscany Region. Carrying a photo that depicts a young woman who is supposedly having dinner with the Costa Concordia captain Francisco Schettino shortly before the accident took place.

The woman has been identified as Domnica Cemortan. She is Moldovan woman of 25 years of age, and prosecutors are trying to locate her. Her presence on the bridge, together with her name was not on the passenger lists, awakened many other questions about who she was. Why she was not registered? Was she invited by the cruise ship's captain? Did she work on the ship, perhaps without a contract? Who was on the bridge with Schettino and other officials at the time of the accident? Why Schettino was dining with her that night?

Some of these issues have begun to unravel now. In an interview to Moldavian cultural media TV, Domnica Cemortan confirmed that” Yes” she was that night with the captain on Costa Concordia. She was an employee of the cruise, but at the Costa Concordia trip was on vacation.

Domnica Cemortan has no doubts about the innocence of Schettino, accused of abandoning the ship as passengers were still aboard. "I think he has done an outstanding job," she said. "The whole team thinks. He has saved more than 3,000 people."

She also said that she was lucky because she had worked five years on the cruise, which prevented her from "dying of a heart attack" at the time when the accident occurred.

Even with these explanations, the Italian press is asking about her. If she was working at Costa Concordia that night and was not in the list of passengers, how she was on board?