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CNN Live Saturday
Muhammad May Have Planned to Kidnap Prime Minister of Antigua
Aired November 02, 2002 - 17:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour with yet another twist in the already bizarre sniper case. Now, the prime minister of Antigua says he may have been targeted in a kidnapping plot, and the mastermind is said to be John Allen Muhammad. CNN's Kathleen Koch joins us with the details on that. Hi there, Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. Well, this is really very bizarre and unexpected, and it came about as a result of another investigation that was taking place because basically until now John Allen Muhammad was suspected of engaging in forging documents while he and his children lived in Antigua for about a year, starting in March of 2000, but nothing more.
But the task force there investigating those activities obviously stumbled onto much, much more. Now we have very few details but Maurice Merchant (ph) who is the public relations director of the government of Antigua tells me that they have reliable information that Muhammad wanted to kidnap Prime Minister Lester Bird and hold him for ransom. Sources say that Muhammad often did talk of violence during his stay on the island.
In a statement, Bird says he is, quote, "deeply troubled by documents found by the task force," so that apparently indicates that some of these claims may have been put down on paper. Bird said that he had been informed that his own safety may have been at risk.
The task force put out an interim report today. It detailed Muhammad's efforts upon arrival in Antigua to hide both his identity and that of his three children, as well as two secured false documents, including a passport. And, Fredricka, I just received a fax from the Government of Antigua and they also say that the attorney general says that police there have executed search warrants as part of the investigation into Muhammad's activities and they have confiscated two computers that they believe that he used while he was there.
WHITFIELD: Now when is it believed this plot would have been carried out?
KOCH: No word on that and no word really exactly on when they discovered it. We think it was obviously very recently because the investigation into Muhammad's activities began after he was apprehended by police on October 24.
WHITFIELD: All right, Kathleen Koch, thank you very much.
KOCH: You bet.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Antigua>
Aired November 2, 2002 - 17:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour with yet another twist in the already bizarre sniper case. Now, the prime minister of Antigua says he may have been targeted in a kidnapping plot, and the mastermind is said to be John Allen Muhammad. CNN's Kathleen Koch joins us with the details on that. Hi there, Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka. Well, this is really very bizarre and unexpected, and it came about as a result of another investigation that was taking place because basically until now John Allen Muhammad was suspected of engaging in forging documents while he and his children lived in Antigua for about a year, starting in March of 2000, but nothing more.
But the task force there investigating those activities obviously stumbled onto much, much more. Now we have very few details but Maurice Merchant (ph) who is the public relations director of the government of Antigua tells me that they have reliable information that Muhammad wanted to kidnap Prime Minister Lester Bird and hold him for ransom. Sources say that Muhammad often did talk of violence during his stay on the island.
In a statement, Bird says he is, quote, "deeply troubled by documents found by the task force," so that apparently indicates that some of these claims may have been put down on paper. Bird said that he had been informed that his own safety may have been at risk.
The task force put out an interim report today. It detailed Muhammad's efforts upon arrival in Antigua to hide both his identity and that of his three children, as well as two secured false documents, including a passport. And, Fredricka, I just received a fax from the Government of Antigua and they also say that the attorney general says that police there have executed search warrants as part of the investigation into Muhammad's activities and they have confiscated two computers that they believe that he used while he was there.
WHITFIELD: Now when is it believed this plot would have been carried out?
KOCH: No word on that and no word really exactly on when they discovered it. We think it was obviously very recently because the investigation into Muhammad's activities began after he was apprehended by police on October 24.
WHITFIELD: All right, Kathleen Koch, thank you very much.
KOCH: You bet.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Antigua>
