JAKARTA, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday rebuffed an accusation that the Indonesian government had paid a ransom for the release of a national kidnapped by the bandit group of Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines.
The Foreign Ministry's director for overseas citizen protections Lalu Muhammad Iqbal made the remarks in response to the release of Indonesian fisherman Samsul Saguni, who was taken hostage four months ago, from a splinter cell of the Abu Sayyaf group on Tuesday afternoon.
Saguni was taken hostage along with his fellow Usman Yunus in September last year while fishing in the waters of Gaya Island of Sabah, Malaysia, according to the ministry.
Reports quoted the official as saying that Yunus managed to escape from the clutches of his kidnappers on Dec. 7.
Currently Saguni is in a military base in Jolo, Southern Philippine for a medical check up before flying to Zamboanga City, said Igbal.
On his plan to return to Indonesia, the official said the arrangement would be made after the fisherman is handed over to the Indonesian Embassy to the Philippines.
