GPC member last seen in Egypt Sept. 20 Official ‘kidnapped’ [Archives:2002/45/Front Page]

An official of Yemen’s ruling GPC party, and former intelligence official, is being held in Egypt after being “kidnapped” with the help of Egypt’s ambassador to Yemen, according to the victim’s brother.
Abdul Wahab Ali Abdul Rahman, brother of Abdul Salaam Ali Abdul Rahman, a member of the Central Committee of the ruling General People’s Congress in Yemen, said that Egypt’s ambassador to Yemen Khaled al-Koumi “dragged his brother into a trap installed by the Egyptian intelligence .”
Rahman has also accused Egyptian intelligence of the kidnapping his brother, who disappeared in Egypt September 20
This week Saba, the Yemeni official news agency, confirmed the GPC official is being held by Egyptian authorities.
Rahman, who is a businessman involved with biding contracts, said he believes his brother is being held by Egyptian intelligence for information about Afghani Arabs in Yemen.
An unidentified source close to the Yemeni government said the missing man has had been active agent for the Yemeni intelligence and helped Yemeni government to extradite thousands of Arab Afghans from Yemen including Egyptians.
Saba News Agency said the Yemeni cabinet agreed in a meeting this week to follow up on the disappearance of the Yemeni citizen.
There are conflicting reports of where he may be at this time.
His brother, Abdulwahab, accuses not only the Egyptian ambassador to Yemen, but also Arab Contractors Company of presenting him to the Egyptian intelligence, by inviting him to Cairo.
But the Egyptian ambassador denied such allegations and said the Yemeni citizen left Cairo for another country.
And the news agency Saba has also quoted the Yemeni interior and foreign minister office of the interior and the foreign minister as saying Rahman left Cairo on board of a private plane to Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, four days after his arrival in Cairo.
Some sources said the missing Yemen man might have been extradited to the US but this has not been confirmed.
Political observers have not dismissed the idea that he might have been a victim of a political bargain among Yemen, Egypt and the US.
Abdul Salaam is believed to have important information on Arab Afghans who have been extradited from Yemen which should be useful for the US in its war on terrorism.
Abdul Wahab, 28, says his elder brother Abdul Salaam, 34, is married and the father of four children.
He says that he has met with the Egyptian ambassador and the Egyptian consul in Sanaa in search for his brother for several times, and Egyptian officials maintain his brother Abdul Salaam has left Cairo just and was “heading for Baku.”
Sources from the Abdulrahaman family, however, say that he is still in Egypt.
Yemen’s government has stressed that security and judicial agreements signed with Egypt should be respected.
Abdulwahab accused the office of the Arab Contractors Company in Sana’a of being involved in the arrest of his brother in Cairo.
He said he and his tribe will sue the Arab Contractors Company employees of Egyptian nationality, and he’s asked the General Prosecutor not to let them leave Yemen until his brother’s whereabouts is known.
He said he received a call from the consultant of the Arab Contractors Company in Cairo, Mustafa Khaleel who told him his brother is safe but he will not be able to talk to his family at the moment.
He said his brother is one of the stakeholders of the company branch in Yemen and that a misunderstanding between him and other people in the company took place some time ago but the difference was sorted out.
The tribe Bani Hushaish appealed in a press statement last Thursday to the government of Yemen and all human rights organization to exert more efforts to get their man back.
They said any harm against him would be a violation against Yemen’s sovereignty and all its people.
Close sources from his family said when al-Hilah left Yemen for Cairo; he already booked for his return to Yemen, having no plan to go to any other country.
He informed his family after his arrival in Cairo that he met the Arab Contractors Company chief and his talks with him were positive.
The sources said he was received at Cairo airport by Mustafa Khaleel and other three people who were said later they were members of the Egyptian intelligence.
They are Husam Khawrasheed, Hasan Duwaidat, and another one named in part, Lashtin, who has been said to have visited Yemen several times as a businessman. He met some Yemeni businessmen with the purpose of bringing some Egyptian companies to carry out some projects.

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