Business exec urges his abductors to turn from crime

Jimmie Forde, the business executive who was abducted in Kingstown on Sunday, is urging the criminals to turn from crime.

“I would want to say that crime cannot pay, regardless to how long you have been involved in crime,” Forde, 51, a manager at Coreas Hazels Inc., told I-Witness News on Monday, when asked what message he would like to send to his abductors.

“And history has shown that crime just cannot pay, and there is a better way to life rather than crime. And I think the acquisition of some good skills is what will give you a good living, and I think it is useful that if you have an area of interest, you can perhaps go and acquire some skills in that area. But a life of crime certainly wouldn’t pay, and it is not too late to try something else,” he further said.

Forde was abducted along North River Road sometime after 2 a.m. Sunday, placed in the trunk of his car and taken to Sion Hill Bay, where he was robbed of his possessions, including his clothes.

His car, which was also taken, was recovered in Montrose on Monday.

(Read also: Abductors take executive’s gun and cash; leave him naked)

“I didn’t get a sense that I was targeted. I felt that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I believe it was probably a crime of opportunity. It’s unfortunate but these things happen,” the Gomea resident, who is also chair of the board of directors of the Postal Corporation, told I-Witness News.

His abductors were masked and armed.

“I couldn’t see them but they appear to me to be young people — late teens, early twenties,” Forde told I-Witness News.

The abduction, an uncommon occurrence in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, had made many residents especially uncomfortable, even as there have been a number of gun-related killings over the past five weeks.

Forde was able to free himself after his abductors left him with his hands tied, and a jersey tied around his face.

Some person have used social media to express gratitude that Forde escaped alive.

Asked what he thinks was the main factor(s) contributing to the favourable outcome, Forde told I-Witness News:

“I would prefer not to comment on that one at this point in time … For very good reasons, I would prefer not to disclose certain things about this.”

The business executive thanked all those who assisted after the crime.

(Read also: PM reassures Vincentians after abduction of businessman)

“I will like to take the opportunity to thanks everybody who came out and searched for me. I will like to thank the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force for an excellent job. I will like to thank the members of my staff, my co-workers, who went searching for me; generally my friends and so on who joined the search team.

“I would also like to thank the Prime Minister for his assistance and also for reaching out to me in the very early stage and offering whatever assistance that I need.

“Generally speaking, I would like to thank everyone who came to my assistance.

“So far, I am doing fairly okay …” he Forde I-Witness News.