BREAKING NEWS-Press Release American Woman Kidnapped in Liberia & Escaped To Tell Her Story Escaped and lived to talk about it and worked diligently with the Liberian National Police to help apprehend criminals

For more information or Interviews:

United States: Mateo Delovo-CLM Media

Tel:(508) 798-3433 [email protected]

October 9, 2012

Liberia: Jennifer Henshaw Tel: (231) 0 880.741192 [email protected]

“After Ms. Andrianopoulos’ escaped, It’s interesting that the focus of the government was on the country’s reputation losing site of the victim who was brutally beaten and hurt,” states Mr. Sims, Attorney for Ms. Andrianopoulos.

American Woman on Business Trip to Liberia Kidnapped by Vicious Criminals TV Talk Show Host, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist Escaped From Captives and Shares her Story Monrovia, Liberia, On Sunday, September 23, 2012, Christina Andrianopoulos, an American Business Woman and Television Talk Show host was kidnapped not less than 2 hours upon her arrival at Robert International Airport, Monrovia, capital of Liberia. Ms Andrianopoulos, President of the Omega Marketing Group, was coming to Liberia upon the invitation of a business associate, Mr. Brice Techo who represented himself as an upper level regional director of one of the major banks in West Africa. He had been involved in facilitating a West Africa financial investment entity for a group of investors including her client Ecu & U.S. International. Several months of discussions culminated in this invitation to visit Liberia where Mr. Techo promised to introduce Ms. Andrianopoulos to many business people and banking investment entities. It was arranged that his driver would pick her up at the airport upon arrival, and bring her to the RLJ Kendeja hotel, where he would set her up as his guest. Upon her arrival in Monrovia she was picked up by an individual who claimed he was Mr. Techo’s driver and proceeded to take her to what would unfold as a nightmare for the next three days. Ms. Andrianopoulos was driven to a remote neighborhood of Monrovia where she was abducted by gunpoint and forced into a house she would remain hostage until her fateful escape three days later. For three horrifying days the vicious, sadistic criminals held her hostage in a dark, dank 100 degree room, stripped naked, tied to a chair and beaten and tortured, with no food and a bucket to use as a bathroom and held ransom for $5 million. They accused her of being an American spy (CIA) and had her make a call to her family asking for $5 million in ransom or they would kill her. They also extracted from her the reason of her visit and the commando, who claimed he was “The Rebel Boss, the DonDo” ordered his group of soldiers (as he referred to them) to beat and torture Ms. Andrianopoulos. He also ordered one of them to find Mr. Techo and murder him and hours later they returned and reported to him that Mr. Techo was murdered. Terrified for her life and confused at why they had abducted her, Ms. Andrianopoulos felt as if she met Satan in the form of this vicious commando, and while traumatized and tortured, through continual prayer, by the Grace of God a miracle occurred and she escaped on Wednesday morning at 5am... Due to the fast thinking of the LNP (Liberian National Police) and the FBI from the highest directives of the State Department, an all points alert was issued shortly after the first ransom call and the information that reached the criminals was that an American Celebrity was kidnapped. Though it earned her several beatings since she was told not to have her family alert the authorities, it ultimately scared away the coward leader, The Boss, who scurried away and left instructions to his soldiers to have her murdered at 3am Wednesday morning and cut her kidneys out and sell them for $5000. The commando would scream at her that he had connections all over Liberia including the U.S. Embassy, the Liberian Embassy, and especially the Liberian National Police and he learned about the alert, he claimed, through his moles. The entire time of her captivity, Ms. Andrianopoulos prayed, which kept her sane and focused. Ms. Andrianopoulos states, “I faced the devil and through the Grace of God a miracle occurred…” When she understood that there was a death sentence put on her life by the Commando, she tried to appeal and invoke pity and sympathy of one of the young soldiers who from time to time would give her things to be more comfortable when the Commando was away. Unfortunately, the nightmare continued and the young soldiers now alone with their directives to murder her issued several more ransom requests of smaller denominations. When the money was not forthcoming, they relayed to her that, “no one in the United States cared enough for her life”, so they were going to complete the commandos instructions to murder her Wednesday morning…at least they said, “we’ll get $5,000 for your kidneys.” The nightmare finally ended at 3 A.M. Wednesday morning when the young soldier came into her room and by pleading for her life to him, Divine intervention occurred and the soldier helped her escape. His plan was that he would continue to keep her captive in a hotel room until the money came through. Prominent in Ms. 1

 

Kidnapped American Woman Press Release

Andrianopoulos’ terrorized mind was if she could get out of that hell hole torture chamber and away from the premises, maybe she would have a chance to scream for help. The soldier called for a driver and took her to one of the main roads of Monrovia. Stating that they feared the Commando would be notified about this, they told Ms Andrianopoulos that they would flag a taxi and instruct him to take her to a hotel. Ms. Andrianopoulos recalled several hotels she had read about in Liberia in preparation for her trip and asked to be taken to the Krystal Ocean View hotel in Mamba Point. Thinking this too was a trap, she engaged in conversation with the driver asking for land marks, specifically the U.S.Embassy, and when he drove by, she saw a Liberian guard and recalling the commando stating that he had moles everywhere, she felt unsafe and continued to the hotel to wait until the Embassy opened later that morning and she could speak to the Ambassador. Ms. Andrianopoulos asked for a room and used the hotels internet to get the numbers of the Embassy and learned it opened at 8A.M. She had her first meal in over three days and then proceeded to her room until 8A.M. to make the fateful call to the Embassy. The manager of the hotel let her use his mobile phone since the criminals had taken all her electronics and jewelry and money and was able to speak to the Ambassadors office. Shortly after the Embassy came to retrieve her and Ms. Andrianopoulos relayed her nightmare. Ms. Andrianopoulos wanted to just “go home,” to the safety of her country and loving arms of her family and away from her kidnappers. The Embassy contacted the LNP and relayed that Ms. Andrianopoulos wanted to go home, and asked if they wanted to come to the Embassy to debrief her. Several subsequent articles in the media reported that Ms Andrianopoulos was trying to flee Liberia after her escape and that the U.S. Embassy was helping her do that. When a call came through on her way to the airport, Ms. Andrianopoulos in her traumatized state of mind riddled with fear for her life said all she wanted to do is go home and could talk to them at the airport prior to leaving. Customs circumvented her boarding and the LNP arrived to escort her to the Central office of the LNP. Even this incident at the airport terrorized Ms. Andrianopoulos believing that she was again captured by the vicious kidnappers, until was crying with fear until the Embassy Agent Warren _____ appeared and he relayed she was safe. Ms. Andrianopoulos, was never arrested as was relayed in several articles subsequent to her escape. Understanding international protocol and national security due to being a victim of a vicious crime and feeling now safe, she volunteered to go back to Central to help with the details and investigation...After a few days providing key information about the horror she experienced, the LNP was able to apprehend three suspects, find the house she was held captive in, and the vehicle that transported her out of captivity. Ms. Andrianopoulos was issued 24 X 7 security consisting of two wonderful security officers who made her feel safe and protected, while the investigation was ongoing. The Liberian government relayed that they were footing the bill for Ms. Andrianopoulos to stay. A week to the day of her escape, Wednesday, October 1 exactly a week after Ms. Andrianopoulos escaped the LNP reported that the Minster of Justice was not allowing her to leave since she was a key witness in the case and the government would no longer pay for the hotel or other expenses. As a victim of a brutal crime, Ms. Andrianopoulos was now on her own without money or the means to pay for her hotel and food. The U.S. Embassy submitted several requests to allow Ms. Andrianopoulos to depart. They relayed that Ms. Andrianopoulos could continue to serve as a key witness from her home in the United States. On Sunday, October 1, 2012, the Ministry of Justice served her with a Writ to appear in court on Monday requesting that she be detained as a key witness…Mr. Sims, Ms Andrianopoulos’ attorney who she retained once she received the Writ stated that she was clearly not under arrest, and learned later from speaking to her family that not only did they fear her dead from the kidnapping but now information was being published by the Liberian media that she was arrested and in prison. Staying until October 8 for the court hearing the Justice Department had now detained her for 11 days from her escape. Ms. Andrianopoulos states,”Its curious that it appears as if the Liberian government is concerned and protecting their country’s reputation and losing focus on the victim, “me” the woman who was brutally abducted, beaten and traumatized by vicious criminals”...Ms. Andrianopoulos continues, “The LIberian people are wonderful, kind, loving people... Unfortunately criminals only look to harm people for their brutal gain...Liberia is a victim of these criminals as much as I am. Criminals don’t discriminate and I understand how Liberia is suffering by this crime done to me, a visitor. It is no different then how America was victimized as well as the people who were hurt by foreign criminals who invaded our country on 9/11.” Ms Andrianopoulos concludes…”but not being allowed to return to my country and my loving family, I become a double victim, which is totally unfair. All I want to do is go home and I WILL continue cooperating until the vicious criminals are all comprehended.” For Media Contact and interviews: U.S.A. Mr. Mateo Delovo, CLM Media Inc. tel: (508) 798-3433 [email protected] 

 

 

     October 9, 2012

Liberia Jennifer Henshaw Tel: (231) 0 880.741192 [email protected] 2

 

Kidnapped American Woman Press Release