A Father’s nightmare

By TODAGIA KELOLA

“I COULD not eat, nor could I go to sleep that ‘black’ Sunday, July 15 when I was informed by the mother of my children (who happens to be my ex-wife) that two of my children were with another child belonging to her current marriage and their babysitter that were kidnapped and that the ransom was K2.3 million.
“I didn’t have that amount of money and yet the lives of my two loved ones were at stake”
Those are the terrified words from the father of the two children that were kidnapped and held for nearly three weeks.
He is an Asian man who owns a prominent road construction company – a man who chews betelnut – was at first reluctant to talk to the Post-Courier, but after explaining that such experiences should be shared so authorities can appreciate the trauma and nightmare experienced by kidnap victims he and his wife agreed to retell the story.
“I have built many roads and bridges in this country, and one of my new projects was the road linking Gulf’s Malalaua with Morobe’s Wau Bulolo,” he said. “In that project, my company has completed the required work but I am yet to be paid by the Government.
“And this payment from the Government, I believe is the money that the kidnappers think I have received and have demanded that I give them in exchange for my children.”
When asked if it was an inside job , he bluntly said: “No it cannot be, because all the suspects that were detained by police, I don’t know any of them except a Simon who goes and comes in my workers compound.”
He also recalled the numerous phone calls that he received, demanding payment before the callers switched off their phones.
“They call all most every night and they make my children cry over the phone threatening to kill them,” he said.
When the kidnappers reduced their ransom to K200,000, he immediately called a Directors meeting and that amount was withdrawn from his company. K50,000 was initially paid into his ex-wife’s account. Her bank card had been taken by the kidnappers when they detained her two days prior to the actual kidnapping.
The matter was reported to police three days after the kidnap and the Armed Robbery Squad, headed by Senior Sergeant Robert Volo and Sergeant Joe Puana, were directed immediately started investigating the case.
A number of raids were conducted which saw a several of men and women taken in for questioning and the kidnap puzzle began to fall into place.
Then on July 29 the balance of K150,000 was to be given to the kidnappers in exchange for the children. But the squad swiftly moved in and detained a woman accomplice who was the pick-up person.
The woman then led police to other suspects who had played a part in the kidnap.
The three kidnapped children and their babysitter, plus the suspect guarding them throughout the kidnap were now hiding at a lodge at Three Mile. The police swooped and picked them up.
In the three weeks of their captivity they were moved from their home at Gerehu to Morata settlement, Kanudi, Gerehu Stage Six and then up to Sogeri where they were holed in a cave for almost two weeks.
The children’s relieved father praised the armed robbery team for their professionalism first in convincing the suspects to reduce the amount and eventually capturing those involved in the actual kidnapping. He thanked them for the safe return of the children and the K150,000.
Acting NCD Central Commander Norman Kambo also praised his men for an excellent detective work which resulted in the safe return of the victims.

One of the kidnap suspects pointing to the cave that the three kidnapped children and their baby sitter had spent for almost two weeks, before they were released.