Johannesburg - The Gift of the Givers humanitarian aid organisation says it knows nothing about a ransom of more than R50m that was allegedly paid for the release of Stephen McGown, Netwerk24 reported on Friday.
McGown was held hostage by al-Qaeda in Mali for six years. His release at the weekend was officially announced at a media briefing in Pretoria on Thursday.
International Relations and Co-operation Minister Maite Nkoane-Mashabane said at the news conference that no ransom had been paid.
However, the New York Times in its report on McGown’s release, quoted a retired European intelligence official as saying that a ransom of €3.5m had been paid.
The source claimed that the Gift of the Givers had arranged the payment of the ransom though an agent in the French intelligence service.
Gift of the Givers founder Dr Imtiaz Sooliman said on Thursday evening that he didn’t have a clue where the paper got its information.