Families and friends of four Malaysian sailors abducted in
April this year by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) have paid a ransom of P130
million (RM12 million), but only P100 million has reached the bandit group,
highly placed sources said.
The missing amount raised suspicions the rebels may be in
cahoots with government officials from Malaysia and the Philippines who may
have shared the money among themselves.
According to two highly placed senior Philippine government
officials, the payment of ransom was confirmed by Malaysian Deputy Prime
Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Hamidi publicly admitted that RM12 million (roughly $2.9
million) was paid for the freedom of brothers Wong Teck Kang, 31, and Teck
Chii, 29; their cousin Johnny, 21; and co-worker Wong Hung Sing, 34.
The four, crew of a tugboat, were abducted off Sabah on
April 1 by a group of armed men on a speedboat.
They were released in Jolo, Sulu, on June 7 after long-drawn
negotiations with the Abu Sayyaf militants led by sub-commander Apo Mike.
“It’s now a burning issue in Malaysia. The ransom payment is
already one of their headlines but, surprisingly, it has yet to reach the
Philippine media’s attention. We got information that the ASG was incensed
after learning from news reports that the money was actually RM12 million,
equivalent to P130 million but that only P100 million reached them,” one of the
senior officials, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal, told The
Manila Times.
“The question is, where did the missing money go?” the
source asked.
Rumors flew thick that the money was coursed through a
special branch of the Malaysian police and given to local officials in Sulu
before ending in the hands of the ASG.
“From what we gathered, a local government official in Sulu
was involved in the negotiations. It is common knowledge in Malaysia that
usually P30 million is paid as ransom for any number of Malaysian victims in
the past. The P130 million by far is the highest,” said the other source.
Malaysian media had reported that the Malaysian police
vehemently denied claims that ransom was paid, claiming that the ASG was
pressured to release the hostages because of a barter trade ban imposed by
Malaysia on southern Philippines.
But late last week, the deputy Prime Minister said the RM12
million was not paid to the kidnappers but to “legally and religiously
sanctioned” organizations and agencies in the Philippines.
The Malaysian official, however, did not identify which
religious organizations got the money.
“I can confirm that the RM12 million that was handed over to
the Special Branch was given as a form of contribution to certain organizations
in the Philippines,” he told the media on Thursday last week.
According to The Manila Times source, there is credence to
allegations by Jolo Mayor Hussin Amin that some local officials, probably
including the military, may have colluded with the ASG, which recently beheaded
Canadian Robert Hall.
Another Canadian, John Ridsdel, was executed by the group in
April when the group’s ransom demand was ignored.
“Why are they so passive? Obviously, there is complicity
here. Much of the answers could be provided by the governor of Sulu [Abdusakur
Tan],” the source said.
The families of the four sailors had said they had raised
RM12 million through donations and had handed the money to the Special Branch
of the Malaysian police in Sandakan on May 24.
It was reported that RM9 million was donated by individuals,
RM1 million came from the mortgage made on pieces of property and the remaining
RM2 million came from the shipping company where the four kidnap victims
worked.
Last Friday, Sabah Police Deputy Commissioner Awang Sahari
EM Nadzeer was quoted by the Malaysian media as saying that the police had
recorded statements from the victims right after they arrived in Kota Kinabalu
from Sandakan last Wednesday.
The Abu Sayyaf also kidnapped a number of Indonesian sailors
early this year.
On March 26, the terror group snatched the 10 Indonesian
sailors off Borneo island.
The kidnap victims were released on May 1 but it was not
known if ransom was paid.
On April 15, the bandit group abducted four Indonesian
sailors.
The victims were released on May 11.
The Abu Sayyaf is still holding several foreign and local
hostages, including Hall’s girlfriend Maritess Flor and Norwegian Kjartan
Sekkingstad.
Source –The Manila Times-
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