Madrid facing awkward questions over huge ransom payments

The release of two Spanish hostages by an al-Qaeda offshoot in North Africa left the Madrid government facing some awkward questions yesterday over reports it had made huge ransom payments.

Albert Vilalta, 35, and Roque Pascual, 50, both aid workers, returned home to Spain early on yesterday after being held captive for nine months in Mali by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the North African branch of Osama bin Laden’s terror network.

The AQIM said it had agreed to free the two after some of its demands were met, Spain’s ­leading daily El Pais reported, quoting an audio statement the newspaper said was from the group.

The group gave no details, but Malian mediators said ­yesterday that AQIM received a ransom of around eight million euros.

AQIM had also reportedly been seeking the release of the mastermind behind the kidnapping who was jailed in Mauritania and freed in Mali just hours before the hostages were released.

“Eight million euros, that’s also my figure,” said a northern Malian lawmaker who was involved in the negotiations to free the Spanish aid workers.

British hostage Edwin Dyer was killed by AQIM in May of last year.