Patten's anger over kidnap inquiry

Peter Shaw believes politics played a role in his kidnap

Attempts to find out who subjected a south Wales businessman to a five-month kidnap ordeal in Georgia have been criticised by a leading European politician.

It is exactly a year since Peter Shaw, who was kept in a damp hole in the ground and repeatedly beaten, escaped from his ordeal.

Chris Patten, the European Union Commissioner for External Affairs, has criticised the inquiry into the case, and warned that future financial aid for Georgia is in jeopardy.

At the time, Mr Shaw thought he had a lucky escape when he dramatically fled from his captors, but now believes he was allowed to get away as part of a political deal.

Mr Shaw, from Cowbridge, is calling for European sanctions to be put in place to make sure there is a proper investigation into his capture.

In July, it was announced that four people had been arrested in connection with the abduction, but there is now scepticism that these arrests were ever made.

I feel the need to know what actually happened, and who actually was responsible. Peter Shaw

Mr Patten said the EU, which has given Georgia almost 400m euros in aid in the last 10 years, had not received "nearly enough information" about the case.

"We are not satisfied at the way the investigation has been carried out," he said.

"We think it is lamentable that a year after Peter's extremely welcome release, nothing seems to have happened to deal with the serious questions that have been raised.

"The Georgian authorities know perfectly well that the amount of assistance we provide in Georgia is considerably affected by what they do on rule of law issues and what they do on the Peter Shaw case."

The kidnappers, who had demanded $2m ransom, held Mr Shaw in the Pankisi Gorge area of the conflict-torn former Soviet republic.

Chris Patten said it was 'lamentable' nothing had happened

Mr Shaw said there was a "general malaise" in the way the case was being investigated.

"The feeling is that 'OK Peter, you are out now - please be a good boy and keep quiet'," he said.

"But I do feel that during those five months of captivity in Georgia, I was used as some kind of political pawn.

"I feel the need to know what actually happened, and who actually was responsible.

"Stopping the systems or threatening to do so would prompt them into some real activity.

"It would really test the mettle of the Georgian authorities, and their desire to bring these guys to justice."