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Militants face kidnap charge
[Straits Times] POLICE have filed kidnapping charges against al-Qaeda-linked extremists who seized three two Red Cross workers in January and are still holding two hostages, officials said on Monday. The criminal complaint also named seven other people accused of supporting the militants. Among those charged with illegal detention were Abu Sayyaf commanders Albader Parad and Abu Pula and seven non-militants, including three policemen, on suspicion they provided ammunition and food to the Islamic militants, police Senior Superintendent Edwin Diocos said. The International Committee of the Red Cross workers - Swiss Andreas Notter, Italian Eugenio Vagni and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba - were kidnapped Jan. 15 after inspecting a jail water supply project on southern Jolo Island, a poor, predominantly Muslim region 950 kilometres south of Manila. Abu Sayyaf gunmen led by Parad and Pula freed Lacaba last week without ransom but threatened to behead the remaining two if government troops did not withdraw. Of those charged, only the non-militants have been arrested, police officials said. 'We have witnesses who said that they provided vehicles, food and ammunition to the Abu Sayyaf,' Mr Diocos told The Associated Press, adding that the seven denied the allegations. Kidnapping for ransom is punishable by life in prison. Mr Diocos, who heads a police investigation into the abductions, said the arrests of the seven Jolo villagers and policemen should deter others in Jolo from supporting the Abu Sayyaf, which is on a US list of terrorist groups for its al-Qaeda links and involvement in bomb attacks, kidnappings and beheadings. Abu Sayyaf militants have demanded government troops pull back from at least five detachments near their jungle stronghold, which has been surrounded by marines, police and armed village guards. They threatening to behead the hostages if their demand was not met, officials said. Jolo Gov. Sakur Tan, head of a government task force dealing with the hostage crisis, said officials may consider a limited withdrawal to allow negotiations for the hostages' release. Posted by: Fred 2009-04-07 |
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