Cops rescue kidnapped man

THE people who snatched and held 28-year-old Keith Bissessar Monday night accused members of the Anti Kidnapping Squad (AKS) of being the ones responsible for his kidnapping, the victim said yesterday.

“Is the AKS who have you here,” Bissessar said the kidnappers told him.  The father of three spoke hours after he was rescued around 9.30 pm Tuesday by AKS officers at a house on San Pedro Road, Valencia. However, Bissessar, from his Huggins Street, Tacarigua, home told Newsday that he will put his life on a block for members of the AKS. “Those AKS officers are clean.  They rescued me,” Bissessar, proprietor of Metro Recreation Club, said, praising the AKS officers for their response. 

Bissessar, also the manager of Tacarigua Parliament Football Team and Tacarigua United Cricket Team, said he believes that the kidnappers made the charge against the AKS officers because they simply wanted to brainwash people. He was however in doubt about other members of the police service, some of whom he said expressed happiness that he had been kidnapped. Contacted yesterday, AKS chief Sr Supt Gilbert Reyes said he preferred not to comment, but other police sources said it is a “funny thing” that AKS officers arranged the kidnapping and rescued Bissessar at the same time.

Bissessar was rescued around 9.30 pm Tuesday by AKS officers, under Reyes, ASP Henry Millington, Insp Adam Joseph, Sgt Netram Kowlessar, Cpl Joseph Isaacs and PCs Gill, Nesbitt and others who stormed the Valencia house. Police said they received certain information and went to the house, where they found Bissessar naked, tied up and suffering from head injuries inflicted by a gunbutt.  He was treated at the Arima Health Facility and later discharged. During the raid at the Valencia house, police arrested a 22-year-old Curepe man who tried to flee the scene.  A shotgun and cartridges were also seized by the police.  The man was in custody up to late evening.

During his brief time in captivity, Bissessar said one of the people who held him hostage said they wanted $1.5 million for his safe return. However, no ransom calls were made to family members. Police had dubbed the kidnapping as drug-related, but Bissessar said he is not involved in drugs.  He admitted to having court matters, but refused to identify what they were, saying: “My court matters are my personal affairs.” Asked why anyone would want to kidnap him, Bissessar said it is probably because he owns two homes and three vehicles. He said he inherited them.