And in the interview with Mr Fofana, he said the group had been about to release the hostages, though they had been afraid of arrest.

BBC: Captured leader 'regrets' kidnap

Pearl was abducted last week while on his way to interview Gilani, the head of the fundamentalist Islamic Jamaat ul-Fuqra group, about possible ties the group had with Richard Reid, the alleged shoe bomber now in jail in the United States.

CNN: Conflicting reports on missing reporter's fate