Kidnapped banker back with family
SOUTH AFRICA: A British banker held hostage by al Qaeda in Mali for almost six years has been released, in what his family says is a miracle.
Stephen McGown, 42, who also holds South African citizenship, returned to Johannesburg on July 29 after medical checkups and debriefing, but his release was only made public yesterday.
McGown had been making his way through Europe and Africa by motorcycle to set up home nearer his parents in South Africa when he was taken from a hotel in Timbuktu in 2011 with two others. Jihadists, some allied to al Qaeda, had established bases in northern Mali and were kidnapping foreigners and developing smuggling routes to finance their activities.
It was reported that a ransom of £3.2 million was paid for McGown, though South African authorities denied that any payment had been made.
The joy of his release was tempered, however, by the loss of his mother, Beverly, who died in May after a long illness.
His father, Malcolm, said McGown was in good health and seemed unchanged by his experience.
His wife, Catherine, said she had never given up hope.
McGown’s captors at one stage offered to release him in return for radical cleric Abu Qatada, who was in British custody awaiting extradition to Jordan.
McGown was most recently seen in a video released last month by the al Qaeda-linked group Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen, along with hostages from Australia, Romania, Switzerland, Colombia and France. The other five hostages are thought to remain in captivity. - The Times