Pirate on Chandlers- 'No freedom, but we've given her a gun'

by Sail-World Cruising/Daily Mail on 21 Mar 2010 In new interview with the Somali pirate gang who are holding kidnapped cruising sailors Paul and Rachel Chandler for ransom, their spokesman Ali Gedow has told Britain's Daily Mail 'We don't care about mercy, we just want the money.' This came after hopes had been raised that the Chandlers would be freed 'within a fortnight'.

After unsubstantiated rumours circulated that Rachel Chandler had been shot, Gedow also confirmed that it was not Mrs Chandler but a Somali girl standing next to her who had been shot by a stray bullet when two pirates had a gunfight.

According to Ali Gedow's latest story the Chandlers are in quite good health, that Mrs Chandler had been given a gun to protect herself against renegade guards. Weren't they worried about her escaping with the help of a gun? No, the pirate told the Daily Mail. 'There are 100 of us and she is alone in the desert. She knows she would be killed.'

The couple, who were kidnapped 150 days ago while they tried to sail from the Seychelles to Tanzania, are still being kept apart to guard against any rescue attempt.

However, he insisted they were living comfortably. 'We have given them books and a radio. They stay in a comfortable tent and they eat pirate food with us; sometimes we even drive them around to show them the scenery,' he told the Daily Mail.'If they get sick we give them herbal medicines made from leaves. They are not together any longer. We're keeping them a few miles apart. But they are relaxing with our people.'

In the meantime their yacht, the Lynn Rival, which was transported back to Britain by the British ship the Wave Knight, who watched the couple's kidnap helplessly, is being kept as evidence for any future trial that may take place.

In the latest interview Ali Gedow also talked about a reduced ransom - £1.3 million to £2.6 million - but mentioned that the Chandlers could be freed in exchange for the release of seven ' brother' pirates awaiting trial in Kenya. However there is no chance of the Kenyan authorities complying with this demand. Nor will the British government negotiate with the pirates, as they have repeatedly made plain.

When reminded that the Chandlers were poor and their relatives could not raise anything like the requested ransom, Gedow replied,'We don't believe they can't find the money. They are from Britain. Everyone there has £2million or £3million.'