WARNING: VIDEOS CONTAIN GRAPHIC CONTENT WHICH MAY UPSET SENSITIVE READERS
The kidnappers of Bangladeshi businessman, Akter Prodhan, who was snatched in Mitchells Plain last week, have demanded R20 million for ransom.
In a shocking turn of events, the kidnappers uploaded several videos to his Facebook story on Wednesday, showing him bloodied and wearing torn clothing and being hit with a hammer.
In one video, he is bare chested sitting on the ground, wearing blue jeans with a T-shirt wrapped around his head and covering his eyes.
His upper body and bare feet are covered in bloody cuts and bruises while his hands and feet are handcuffed.
Prodhan, from Mitchells Plain, was kidnapped on Friday afternoon in Wespoort Road, Eastridge.
A video clip recorded by bystanders shows the 37-year-old Cheaper Chips business manager being forced into the backseat of a silver grey Toyota by a man in a traffic officer uniform and another in civilian clothing.
In one of the videos uploaded to his Facebook story, Prodhan, sitting on the carpeted floor, asks to be given a chance to speak on the phone to a “Masoom” and gets hit on the chest with a hammer, but the kidnappers then proceed to hand him the phone, telling him to “talk to the boss”.
“Give money, don’t talk sh!t give money only this. I am dead already, already I am dead, give money, you’ve got money, you can give money,” he says.
“If you want to save me, you can save me with the money, money can’t buy my life, you can give money. Don’t talk anything and don’t talk to the police or whatever, just talk to the boss. Talk about money, nothing else,” he says.
The kidnapper is heard saying in a raspy voice: “R20 million I want, I want R20 million.”
The kidnappers then continue to show Prodhan’s cuts and bruises on his upper body.
In another video, Prodhan is handcuffed wearing a grey shirt, denim jeans and a red and white cloth covering his face which they remove and he says, “Masoom is making sh!t, I don’t know why he is making you angry, Masoom, you talk sh!t, Masoom, you don’t do this,” he says repeatedly.
It is unclear who “Masoom” is.
When the Daily Voice reached out to Mohammad Hoosain, a leader of the Bangladeshi community in Cape Town who is in close contact with Prodhan’s family, he said they were aware of the videos and confirmed that the family had been contacted by the suspects.
He did not want to divulge any more details as the matter was at a sensitive stage.
Hoosain previously said the kidnappers were mistaken as Prodhan did not own Cheaper Chips but was simply managing the store.
The police did not respond to queries about the kidnapping.
marsha.dean@inl.co.za