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Following early morning kidnapping US diplomat
released
Thirty-seven-year-old Steve Lesniak, who is attached to the
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was snatched
from the Club at about 9:10 hrs yesterday. Lesniak,
residents in the area said, was playing golf at the time of his abduction.
The Tee Box is located about 300 metres from the Club
House. According to residents of Lusignan, the kidnappers emerged from the
bushes east of the golf club course and held him up with their guns before
taking him on foot through the bushes. They headed in the direction of
Buxton. During the incident, Lesniak dropped his identification card and
cellular phone
About five minutes after the alarm went up,
patrols from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) arrived on the scene followed
shortly afterwards by the police who immediately began combing the area in
search of the victim and to possibly arrest the
perpetrators. The
security forces were also using the GDF helicopter to scan the area in
their efforts to locate Lesniak. The
Chronicle was reliably informed yesterday by diplomatic sources that a
team of security officers from Washington was yesterday dispatched to
Guyana to investigate the diplomat’s kidnapping. The
Chronicle understands that five men were actually involved in the kidnap
but two of them executed the actual abduction. Lesniak
played golf at Lusignan frequently and would normally be in the company of
friends when playing, but at the time of his abduction, he was playing
alone, apart from the caddies, an employee said. Employees of the Club also spoke glowingly of Lesniak, relating
that he is always pleasant, friendly and helpful. Meanwhile, the victim of an earlier kidnapping on Friday,
Deo
Basdeo of Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara escaped from his
abductors unhurt. However,
Basdeo and his family have since moved out from their home and are
relocated at another residence for fear of the attackers striking
again. |
