Group pleads not guilty to kidnapping elderly Singaporean man
Four Chinese nationals pleaded not guilty to charges of kidnapping a Singaporean man at the Sessions Court in Penang, Malaysia, on Thursday (10 Sept).
Local reports identified the accused as Liu Ting Jun, Huang Jian, Wang Hao Yu, and Guan Siqi, aged 46, 39, 32, and 24, respectively.
The four allegedly worked together to abduct and wrongfully confine the 72-year-old Singaporean victim, Quek Aik Teng.
Singaporean man lured with job offer
According to Free Malaysia Today, the retiree was lured to Penang with a job offer as a consultant.
He arrived at Penang International Airport on 26 July.
Image courtesy of Google Maps. For illustration purposes only.
On 4 Aug, his family received messages informing them he had been kidnapped and demanding an RM3.2 million (S$1 million) ransom.
The abductors also sent a video showing the victim blindfolded and in handcuffs.
The family then reported the kidnapping to the Singapore Police Force (SPF), which immediately coordinated with Malaysian authorities.
Hoping to secure his release, the family also made three payments to the suspects totalling RM48,000 (S$15,000).
Two other suspects shot dead during raid
On 7 Aug, Malaysian police raided a house in Alor Setar, Kedah, and rescued the Singaporean man and another female kidnap victim.
Two suspects, believed to be foreigners, were shot dead after they opened fire at authorities.
Meanwhile, the police arrested six others, including five Chinese nationals and a Malaysian man.
Source: Polis Diraja M’sia on X
Prosecution urged court to withhold bail
The accused were charged under Section 3(1) of the Kidnapping Act 1961, read alongside Section 34 of the Penal Code (joint liability), The Star reported.
If convicted, individuals may face between 30 and 40 years in prison and caning.
Image courtesy of anurakpong on Canva. For illustration purposes only.
The prosecution urged the court to withhold bail, stressing the gravity of the offence and citing public interest.
Additionally, he said the suspects’ passports were still being verified by the Immigration Department.
Judge denies group’s bail applications
Liu’s lawyer argued that his client had fully cooperated with police during arrest.
He added that Liu had a distant relative working in Malaysia willing to act as surety.
On the other hand, the legal representative of the other three said his clients were willing to surrender their passports, report regularly to a local police station, and abide by the conditions imposed by the court.
However, the judge dismissed all four bail applications and set 15 Oct for further mention of the case.
Also read: 72-year-old S’porean kidnapped in M’sia after being offered ‘job’, rescued by M’sian police
72-year-old S’porean kidnapped in M’sia after being offered ‘job’, rescued by M’sian police
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Featured image adapted from The Star, Free Malaysia Today.
