Monrovia – Businessman Maxim Blaise has alleged that he was almost kidnapped by one Aries Dean who also happens to be the CEO of African Entertainment.
Report by Bettie K. Johnson Mbayo, [email protected]
The incident allegedly occurred at Royal Hotel in Monrovia on June 8.
Blaise alleged that as he walked past the reception desk in the lobby at the hotel, Dean and two unknown men with guns came and held him by both hands and he was hit on his head by Dean.
“They tried to kidnap me from the hotel into a getaway van parked at the driveway of the reception entrance doorway, many guests both foreign and local were in so much fear that such a thing could happen at the hotel.
He narrated: “A witness who was outside the building of Royal Hotel saw Dean having a gun along with two armed bandits get down from the silver Ford van with no registration plate.”
“The witness thought they were security personnel that had come to arrest someone.”
“Little did he know they were criminals who had come to commit acts of terrorism and to put fear in foreign lodgers at the Royal Hotel.”
Blaise says Dean placed the gun into his front trouser concealing the gun with his shirt.
“He further told the driver of the getaway van that as soon as they rushed the targeted individual into the van, he should drive away with speed,” he further alleged.
He alleged that Dean is a well-known fraudster and has been arrested in the United States before on suspicion of fraud.
“Dean has an American passport after obtaining a Green Card in the US.
He flies from country to country going about defrauding people around the world.
The Police is in search for him in Monrovia and he is said to be on the run. Liberia is a country of law and order and against any act of terror,” the alleged kidnap victim said.
But Dean via through phone trashed the allegation, saying that Blaise allegedly ordered men to kill his cousin Flaco Zelee in 2006.
He said the scuffles between him and Blaise was a citizen arrest.
Dean added that he is not on the run and is cooperating with security and prosecution authorities to reopen the case file since the suspect is back in Monrovia.
He alleged that Blaise also forged his signature and stole money from his IB Bank account.
“I know him and we had a scuffle. It was because he was involved in forgery and he stole an amount from my account and killed my cousin in 2006,” he explained.
Dean continued: “He paid people for that – to kill my cousin. So when I ran into him at Royal hotel, I tried stopping him to speak about that moment and to turn him over to the Police so he resisted that got me angry so I hit him.”
He confirmed that visitors and the hotel owner asked him to leave their premises and I asked the Police.
“I have been speaking to one Henry Moore who said I should do a formal complaint and they will investigate but I haven’t done it.”
Police confirmed the incident but said none of the parties have filed a complaint neither have the Police launched into the incident.