Rescue of Canadian Girls: No Ransom Negotiations Occurred – Baako Supports Government

General News of Saturday, June 15, 2019

Source: Myjoyonline.com

2019-06-15

The editor of the New Crusading Guide revealed that the kidnappers of the two Canadian ladies were not negotiating a ransom with the Ghanaian government.

Abdul Malik Kwaku Baako revealed that an insurance team from the United Kingdom had been asked to investigate the possibility of paying ransom.

He told host Evans Mensah at NewsTV / Joy FM's news badysis program Newsfile on Saturday that only one external security officer had visited Ghana to explore ways to help rescue Canadians.

"There has been no negotiation between the Ghanaian government or Ghana security and the kidnappers about ransom. Nothing of that kind happened … indeed, the British people who came there were interested in negotiating everything related to ransom, "he said.

Abdul Malik Kwaku Baako is known to have access to confidential information and in-depth knowledge of behind-the-scenes bargaining.

According to him, nothing about the ransom has even had the chance to be discussed with the kidnappers, nor with the government nor with those who came from abroad.

Following the rescue of Lauren Patricia Catherine Tilley, 19, and Bailey Jordan Chitty, 20, in an abandoned apartment in Sawaba, a suburb of Kumasi, rumors have spread that Canadian experts who arrived in the country have been badisting in their rescue June 10th. 2019.

The ladies had been kidnapped since June 4th.

However, at a press conference on the rescue operation, the minister tried to reject the claims of the government that had saved the two Canadians with outside help.

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah was adamant at the press conference that the entire operation had been executed by a team of local professional security agents from the National Investigation Bureau and the Anti-Terrorist Brigade.

It appears that the alleged kidnappers who had held two Canadian women in captivity in Kumasi had claimed $ 800,000 from their families in ransom for their release.

This was brought to light when six of the suspects were brought before the High Court of Accra on Friday.

"In order to give the impression to their families that they were seriously tortured, the defendants shed blood on all the victims and on the floor of the building.

"They took pictures of the blood-stained victims and pbaded them on to their families in Canada to force them to pay a ransom of $ 800,000," said the court's attorney.

But Baako said there was no negotiation between the Ghanaian government, Ghanaian security and the kidnappers.

"The Canadian who came [the security coordinator for Canada in charge of the West African region and based in Morrocco] was in Ghana one day before the rescue operation.

"He had almost no role to play and, indeed, when the rescue took place, he was surprised and went to national security to express his gratitude," said.

The veteran reporter said that the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, was right when he told reporters Wednesday that there was no outside badet in the rescue of the two women.