Onassis Interceded With Hijackers

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32359, 27 July 1970, Page 13

Onassis Interceded With Hijackers

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) ATHENS, July 26.

Aristotle Onassis sped to the airport last Wednesday in his chauffeurdriven limousine and walked to the hijacked jet airliner which stood 300 yards from the terminal. United Press International reported.'

The forward door of the jet opened and a young Arab commando came down the steps and levelled a machinegun at him. Mr Onassis, the wealthy Greek shipping tycoon and busband of the former Jacqueline Kennedy, has recounted how he bargained first to exchange himself for

58 passengers aboard a commandeered jetliner, and then later to guarantee another deal offered by the Greek Government. The 64-year-old multimillionaire said he went to the airport as soon as he learned that six Arab guerrillas had seized the aircraft and were holding all passengers aboard as hostage. “I offered to be hostage,” he said. “They turned me down. It seems that my stock has gone down. My concern was for the passengers and crew.”

While Mr Onassis was offering himself in place of the passengers, the Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Stylianos Pattakos) arrived at the airport and began negotiating with the guerrillas who were demanding that seven of their Arab commando comrades be released from Greek prisons.

“I left the airport and went to the Co-ordination Minister and told him that something (must be done.” Mr Onassis 'said. “At 2 o’clock they (the [guerrillas) asked to see me. I “I went down to the aircraft and the man came off to see me,” Mr Onassis said. “The conversation was being held at machine-gun point" Mr Onassis said that he and the guerrilla talked in English for some minutes on the tarmac.

“I personally gave assurance on paper that we would co-operate with the agreement reached with the Government that the convicted, and the two to be tried, will be handed to the Red Cross in a month,” Mr Onassis said. “I gave him the paper which I had signed," he said. About an hour later the guerrillas apparently decided that Mr Onassis's guarantee was good, and began letting the passengers off in pairs. KIDNAPPING PLOT Meanwhile in London the police have announced the arrest of a British engineer i charged with demanding more than 82 million to pre!vent a kidnapping of Mr (Onassis and his wife. • John Humphreys, aged 58. I accused of making unwarranted statements combined with menaces, was ordered to face the charges at the Guildhall Court.

A police spokesman said that Humphreys was charged with demanding 100 million drachmas (82.997,202) to stop the alleged kidnapping plot. “The accused man claims he has connections in Greece," one police source said. “He has been making telephone calls to insurance companies and other firms in London, telling them that there was a plan to kidnap Mr Onassis and his wife, but if his ransom money was paid the plan would be called off.”