By Noora Ibrahim.
Benghazi, 24 January 2014:
The body of 77-year-old Benghazi businessman Gaith Omran Al-Gharyani who was kidnapped three weeks ago was . . .[restrict]found by police this morning. It was discovered near the former Interior Security building in central Benghazi and taken to Benghazi Medical Centre where it was identified.
According to the hospital, there were initial indications that Gharyani had been tortured to death, however the pathologist was still working on the case.
Gharyani was seized on 4 January by three gunmen after he, his wife and son had just got out of their car on returning to their home in Fuwaihat district. The gunmen did not say why they were taking him, but according to a friend of the family, they told his wife that he would be released shortly.
At the time, the family thought the kidnapping was financially motivated. Gharyani owned a store selling safes in Dubai Street. However, no ransom was ever asked nor did the kidnappers ever contact the family.
Friends of the family say they cannot understand why he was seized and killed. “He was a good and had no problems”, one said.
On Wednesday evening, two other local resident were murdered. Both were likewise civilians.
Hamza Muftah Alhawaty was killed in Kish district at around 8.30 pm. He was shot in the head and died instantly. Some two and a half hours later, Buzaid Abubakr Najem died at the wheel of his car in Kuwaifiya district when shots were fired from a black 4×4 vehicle.
According to a source in Saiqa special forces, a man has been arrested in the case of Alhawaty. [/restrict]
