South African diplomat: I was abducted and kept at apartment
BY BEH YUEN HUIKUALA LUMPUR: South African High Commission counsellor Cornelius Ven Niekerk Scholtz, who had been reported missing for a week, turned up in a taxi at the high commission yesterday, claiming that he was abducted and kept at an apartment near here.
The 55-year-old diplomat, whose disappearance from a city hotel was highlighted by the media on Saturday, arrived by himself at the high commission in Taman Tasik Titiwangsa at 6am.
Informed sources said Scholtz, who is known as “Nicky,” told police that he was abducted on May 23 and taken to a five-storey apartment where he was held before being abandoned near a construction site in Serdang at 5am yesterday, from where he boarded the taxi to the high commission.
Apart from a bruised eye, he was in good health and was sent for a medical examination at a private hospital.
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Scholtz: Was given RM50 and abandoned by abductors |
He said the diplomat appeared weak but police were questioning him to investigate his claims, adding that Scholtz was at present in the care of embassy officials.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Sedek Mohd Ali, who on Saturday discounted the possibility of Scholtz being abducted, said that police had classified the diplomat's disappearance as a missing person's case.
It is learnt that there has been no ransom demand.
Scholtz, who was posted here on April 20, had been staying at Hotel Nikko in Jalan Ampang and was last seen leaving the lobby at 7.41pm on May 23.
Sources said the diplomat had informed police that while waiting at a nearby bus stand, four men punched him in the face and forced him into a car.
Scholtz said he was driven to another place, and later saw a signboard with the word “Putrajaya.”
According to the sources, he was then taken to the apartment and kept there.
Scholtz said that early yesterday, he was taken to a construction site in Serdang where he was given RM50 and abandoned there by his abductors.
The high commission lodged a police report on Scholtz's disappearance on Wednesday.
A special police team headed by ACP Hadi to investigate the case found no sign of a break-in at Scholtz's hotel room.
Anil Sooklal, South Africa’s Foreign Affairs Department deputy director-general for the Middle East and Asia, told a South African newspaper that Scholtz had gone for a walk to the Petronas Twin Towers.
He said the high commission had not known about his disappearance until Wednesday as Scholtz was supposed to attend a trade conference here on Monday and Tuesday.
South African High Com-missioner Dr Abraham Sokhaya Nkomo, who met newsmen at his residence located near the high commission, said he would leave the matter to the police to investigate.
“I can only say that Nicky was released by his captors this morning.
“We are confident with the police's ability and will co-operate with them,'' he added.
Wisma Putra officials said the political division was liasing with the high commission over the case.
“We are interested to know what actually happened,'' said an official.
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