This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

271914Z Dec 05

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 002582 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR DS/DSS, DS/IP/ITA, DS/IP/WHA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC
SUBJECT: FSN ACCOUNT OF CARJACKING, ABDUCTION PROVEN FALSE 
 
REF: TEGUC 2579 
 
¶1. (SBU)  Summary:  RSO has determined through further 
investigation that the recently alleged carjacking of an 
official USG vehicle and abduction of a USAID FSN (see 
reftel) was fabricated in its entirety.  The FSN, when faced 
with new evidence that the RSO had obtained, admitted that he 
took the vehicle without authorization, gotten into a 
vehicular accident while inebriated, abandoned the vehicle at 
the scene of the accident, concocted a story of abduction, 
lied to RSO and USAID personnel regarding the circumstances 
of his disappearance, and recruited his family to corroborate 
his story.  RSO has recommended immediate termination of the 
employee.  End Summary. 
 
 
¶2. (SBU)  On 12/24/2005, RSO submitted reftel, which details 
the account of a theft of an official USAID vehicle and the 
apparent abduction of the FSN driver.  According to the FSN, 
he was carjacked at 1700 hours on 12/22/2005 while returning 
the vehicle to the USAID warehouse,  The FSN claimed that his 
masked captors repeatedly demanded to know the locations of 
his American supervisors' residences.  The FSN stated that he 
did not provide this information, despite being threatened at 
gunpoint. He said that he was ultimately released at 1800 
hours on Friday 12/23/2005. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  At 1200 hours on Saturday, 12/24/2005, the FSN 
finally contacted his USAID supervisors to report what had 
allegedly happened to him. Up until this point, USAID had no 
knowledge as to the whereabouts of the employee, and were 
repeatedly trying to contact him, assuming he was sick and 
had simply failed to notify his superiors.  Once USAID EXO 
learned of the alleged carjacking/abduction from the 
employee, he immediately contacted RSO.  RSO and USAID 
personnel interviewed the employee within an hour, and the 
immediate action by RSO was to notify USAID Amcit supervisors 
of the alleged threat against them, augment security around 
their residences, and report these events to the Department 
via reftel. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Since the submission of that report, new 
information regarding the circumstances of the case has come 
to light.  After the initial interview with the employee and 
subsequent submission of reftel, RSO contacted local police 
authorities to determine if the stolen USG vehicle had been 
involved in any type of accident or in other crimes in the 
area.  Today, on 12/27/2005, RSO learned that indeed an 
accident report was submitted to the police in which the USG 
vehicle was reported to have been involved in a minor 
accident with a privately-owned vehicle (POV).  From the 
report, the name the POV driver was ascertained and the 
driver was contacted by RSO and USAID personnel.  According 
to the POV driver, his vehicle was hit by the USG Suburban at 
approximately 1430 hours on 12/23/2005.  The claimant stated 
that the driver of the Suburban was a Honduran male who was 
obviously inebriated.  He further stated that he driver of 
the Suburban fled the scene.  The claimant then provided a 
description of the hit-and-run driver which corresponded with 
the USAID employee who had purportedly been abducted. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Armed with this new evidence, RSO interviewed the 
FSN again and obtained a full confession that he had 
fabricated the carjacking/abduction story and had involved 
his wife and nine-year old son in his deception.  The FSN 
admitted that he took the USG vehicle without authorization 
and for personal use, failed to return to work the following 
day, got drunk and had an accident, fled the scene of the 
accident thereby abandoning the vehicle, and fabricated the 
entire story of a carjacking and abduction in order prevent 
discovery of the truth and the inevitable ramifications to 
follow. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  RSO has advised the USAID front office of the 
outcome of the investigation and has recommended the 
immediate termination of the employee for cause.  USAID 
personnel have advised that they agree with this 
recommendation. 
Ford