Talk show host claims he was abducted

Gavin Matthews, a local talk show host, has said he was abducted on Sunday night, leaving him in a state of shock.

However, the Guyana Police Force’s Communication Unit yesterday said there was no report of the abduction made to the Guyana Police Force.

Matthews, 43, told Stabroek News that he was picked up by unknown men after leaving a birthday function at a location in Sophia.

The man said at about 9 pm he decided to catch a taxi to head to his destination, taking into consideration the approaching curfew.

After waiting for some time, he said he stopped a car and sat in the front passenger seat. The man explained that before he could have indicated to the driver his intended destination, he was held at gunpoint.

Matthews said the driver instructed him to remain quiet and he initially thought that he was being robbed.

He said the driver kept instructing him to remain silent, while a minibus was following closely behind them. However, he was unable to see any markings or indications to help him identify the vehicle.

The man said he was taken in the direction of East Bank Demerara and at some point his seat was placed in a reclined position and something was placed over his head in an attempt to block his vision.

He believes that he was taken to a farm at the Soesdyke- Linden Highway as he recalled feeling the vehicle turn off the road at a point and smells associated with farming. He explained that he was later placed in a room in an old house where he was put to sit and chained to a table.

He said he was told that he would be spoken to when the “boss man” arrived. Sometime after 4 am, Matthews claimed, a person who disguised himself instructed him to stop his show or pay the penalty of death.

The man stated that he was not robbed and was later released on Monday morning. He said he had money and his phone on his person at the time and these were not taken from him.

Matthews stated that he started his online talk host show in March of last year after realising that there was an attempt to make Guyana undemocratic. Since then he said he has received both offers to buy his silence and threats to stay quiet.

While Matthews said he has an idea as to who may be behind the abduction, he added that he was seeking legal advice on the matter before making any public pronouncements.