Seven members of the US Federal Bureau of Investi-gation (FBI) arrived in Guyana yesterday morning to probe Saturday’s kidnapping and subsequent release of the Regional Security Officer (RSO) of the US Embassy.
Stephen Lesniak was snatched by two armed teenagers early Saturday morning while playing at the Lusignan Golf Course on the East Coast Demerara and taken to the crime-ridden village of Buxton.
Lesniak, an ex-US Marine Captain said to be trained in unarmed combat, was re-leased unharmed on Saturday night between 7:15 and 7:30 pm, after an intense military operation on the East Coast.
Unconfirmed reports indicated yesterday that a ransom of $12 million was paid by American friends here of Lesniak for his release and that the money was handed over on the East Coast.
It is not the policy of the US to pay ransom whenever kidnappings of its employees occur and sources say this is an additional complication for investigators. Unofficial reports had stated on Saturday that the kidnappers called Lesniak’s mother in US - after extracting the telephone number from Lesniak - and demanded US$300,000 (close to $60M). This call was what apparently triggered the effort here to gather money for his release. Sources say his friends might have acted on the experience of other captives here recently who were released unharmed upon payment of ransom. Lesniak’s kidnapping has been widely reported in the international press and on CNN.
A source yesterday said that the FBI members arrived in the country early yesterday morning and are working closely with the local police and army in investigating the crime. A tight lid is being kept on their movements.
The source also said that the high-level meeting including President Bharrat Jagdeo and US Ambassador, Ronald Godard, along with other persons, which commenced on Saturday, continued yesterday and a number of issues are being discussed.
Asked if a new operation will be launched in relation to kidnappings which have burgeoned recently, the source said the possibility existed. When the kidnapping spree started last year, President Jagdeo had approached the US for FBI assistance but was referred to private agencies.
Lesniak was the third non-Guyanese to be kidnapped recently by persons operating in and around Buxton. Two Trinidadians were kidnapped and later released after ransom was paid.
Yesterday, the US embassy remained mum on the issue. No statement was released at all and no senior official spoke about the kidnapping.
Calls to Ambassador Godard’s office were met with the response that the ambassador was unavailable. Later in the afternoon, his office said the ambassador was not prepared to speak on the matter. Visits by Stabroek News to other embassy officials also proved to be futile as no one was inclined to speak on the issue.
Following Lesniak’s kidnapping on Saturday members of the army and the police immediately launched a search of the backlands of Annandale and Buxton where it was reported that the man was taken. It is understood that searches were conducted in Buxton and about eight to ten buildings were checked for the kidnapped man.
According to reports Lesniak had arrived at the golf course at around 8 am and about an hour later he had finished playing nine holes and was at the number two tee box, which is at the eastern end of the ground near a trench separating the golf course from the canefields.
It is understood that the kidnappers emerged from the bushes, grabbed the diplomat and threw him to the ground. The caddies who were with him raised an alarm.
The law enforcement agents were contacted but by the time they arrived the kidnappers had vanished with the man and all that was left behind was the man’s identification cards, a cellular phone and his vehicle.
Lesniak is the senior law enforcement representative of the US Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security in Guyana and Suriname. He is also responsible for the investigation of visa and passport fraud, criminal violations and the security programme for the US Embassy.
Lesniak’s kidnapping marks a further escalation in the wave of crime mounted from the Buxton/Friendship area since March last year and will increase the pressure on the government to act decisively to counter it.