Notorious wanted man involved in diplomat’s
kidnap -sources At least
five persons were involved in last Saturday’s kidnapping of US diplomat
Stephen Lesniak and
a notorious wanted man is believed to have been the mastermind and
collected the ransom.
Sources say that at one stage Lesniak was paraded in front of some
villagers in Buxton with a gun to his
head. Since Lesniak’s kidnapping, a number of officials from the US
Federal Bureau of Investigation have arrived in the country and they are
conducting investigations along with other US-based investigators.
Lesniak is expected to leave the country shortly, sources say. Two
teenagers kidnapped the 35-year-old Lesniak last Saturday while he was
playing golf at the Lusignan Golf Course on the East Coast Demerara. He
was the first of two persons snatched that day. School of the Nations
student Roy Bell, 16, was kidnapped some hours after Lesniak, but was
killed and dumped on the East Coast Public Road on Monday night after his
parents had paid a ransom. Information reaching Stabroek News yesterday
stated that five persons as well as a notorious wanted man were actually
involved in Lesniak’s kidnapping. The diplomat was taken to Buxton
where he was held in several places, including a church on Company Road.
Sources told this newspaper, that Lesniak was moved at least three times
while the police and military carried out cordon and search exercises. Reports
state also that the kidnapping was not a chance happening, since,
according to sources, the kidnappers told Lesniak that they knew “only rich people does play golf”.
Ransom of an undisclosed amount was paid by friends of Lesniak to secure
his release. Since Lesniak’s and Bell’s kidnapping last Saturday,
one other person was snatched on Monday; and on Tuesday, two men attempted
to kidnap a young businesswoman. Also on Tuesday night, bandits terrorized
a Coldingen family and contemplated taking a child hostage after they had
taken all the family’s valuables. The child was eventually left
behind after the bandits reasoned that the family might not have
anything more to give
Friday April 17, 2003
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