FUGEES - WYCLEF BEGGED HAITIANS NOT TO KIDNAP JOLIE AND PITT

FUGEES star WYCLEF JEAN sent out a secret message to his fellow Haitians before pals ANGELINA JOLIE and BRAD PITT visited the troubled island last weekend (13JAN06) urging them not to kidnap the movie stars.

The READY OR NOT hitmaker was convinced island thugs would attempt to ambush the superstar couple - because such abduction is commonplace.

And so he contacted gang leaders on Haiti and begged them not to try anything that would wreck his plans to help revive the island's fortunes through his Yele Haiti foundation.

Jolie and Pitt visited the island with Wyclef on behalf of the Fugees star's charity.

Wyclef says, "The kidnapping is crazy. (There were) 30 kidnappings per day the previous weekend."

Before the visit, Wyclef appeared on a local TV show and told the islanders, "Listen, I Got Angelina Jolie Here, I got Brad Pitt here. Please do not embarrass me this weekend."

The hip-hop star is delighted that gang leaders on the island took his message seriously: "The whole weekend went by and there was not one kidnapping."