A teenager, who was one of two men who reportedly kidnapped a bank employee and demanded $20,000 for her release, is scheduled to appear in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on May 29.

Kelvin Coke, 19, of Catherine Street in Kingston, is charged with kidnapping and extortion.

The accused was scheduled to appear in court yesterday to answer to those charges. However, he was not there, as the court was informed that he is to face an identification parade. Consequently, a new date was scheduled for him to be taken to court.

The allegations against Coke are that on March 19, at 11:50 pm, the 29-year-old complainant, who is a sales officer at a prominent bank, was at a bus stop on Trafalgar Road in New Kingston when she boarded a red plate taxi, a grey Nissan. Two men, including the driver, were inside the vehicle.

It is alleged that when the vehicle reached Mountain View, the male passenger who had been sitting in the front seat climbed to the back of the car and held a knife to the complainant’s neck and demanded $20,000.

The complainant reportedly contacted her family and co-workers and the money was sent to the hostage’s account.

The men reportedly tried to withdraw the money from an ATM on Molynes Road but were unsuccessful.

The complainant was later released on Lucine Road, off Sunrise Crescent in Kingston, and reported the matter to the police.

The following day Coke was arrested, placed on an identification parade, and was positively identified.

The accused is also charged with abduction of a child under 16 and sexual intercourse with a person under 16 in a separate incident and was scheduled to appear in court yesterday in relation to those charges.

In the meantime, it is not yet known if the driver of the car was arrested.

— Tanesha Mundle