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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Wood 'to testify against captors' |
| 2005-08-30 |
AUSTRALIAN businessman Douglas Wood, who was once forced to plead for his life on video, may go back in front of a camera to give evidence against his former Iraqi captors. Mr Wood, now in the US packing up to return to Australia, said he had been told by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) that six more of his alleged kidnappers had been captured in Iraq. This would bring to eight the number of alleged captors in custody. "What I was told by the AFP just last week is that they have caught six more of our captors," Mr Wood told Channel 10. An AFP spokeswoman was unable to confirm Mr Wood's comments. Mr Wood said he had agreed to give evidence by video link in the trials, although he had no idea when that might be. The 64-year-old who is almost legally blind as a result of his 47-day ordeal, said he had nevertheless been able to help police track down the captors, who are believed to have killed several people including Mr Wood's Iraqi driver. "They said they caught the six based on the debriefing that I gave, which said where the house was and what people looked like," Mr Wood said. He was shown photographs of his alleged attackers. "I identified a couple of people and rejected one, and tentatively on another one – I would have to see a profile," he said. "The information I have now is that eight people have been captured and taken out of business." A Swedish hostage held alongside Mr Wood in Iraq, Ulf Hjertstrom, has reportedly hired bounty hunters to track down his kidnappers. He wants them punished with execution. But Mr Wood said he wanted to see justice done the legal way. "I'm not a vigilante to take justice into your own hands, like Ulf apparently does," he said. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #2 Perhaps word of Ulf's contract also assisted local authorities in the apprehension of the alleged perpetrators. Maybe hostages should do that more often? |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2005-08-30 10:53 |
| #1 Where can I send money to Mr. Ulf? |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-08-30 10:51 |