Four Chinese nationals pleaded not guilty to kidnapping a Singaporean man at Penang airport in July, demanding a S$1 million ransom.
BALIK PULAU: Four Chinese nationals were charged at the Sessions Court here today with kidnapping a Singaporean man in July and demanding a ransom of SGD1 million (about RM3.28 million).
The accused, Liu Ting Jun, 46; Huang Jian, 39; Wang Hao Yu, 32; and Guan Siqi, 24, the only woman among them, however, pleaded not guilty after the charge was read to them in Mandarin before Judge Ahzal Fariz Ahmad Khairuddin.
According to the charge sheet, the accused, as well as two others still at large and another two individuals who have since died, are accused of jointly abducting and wrongfully confining Quek Aik Teng at the Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas at 4.15 pm on July 26.
The charge is framed under Section 3(1) of the Kidnapping Act 1961, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which provides for imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years, and caning, upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Ikmal Affendi Zulkifly did not offer bail on the grounds that the case involved a serious offence and is a matter of public interest.
“A review of their passports is being carried out, and there is still no confirmation from the Immigration Department of Malaysia,” he said.
Counsel Azizul Hilmi Zulkifli, representing Guan, Huang and Wang, asked the court to consider bail with additional conditions, such as surrendering their passports, reporting to the nearest police station, and not interfering with prosecution witnesses.
Meanwhile, counsel Edward Ng, representing Liu, sought reasonable bail on the grounds that his client had cooperated with the police throughout the investigation and had no prior criminal record.
The judge dismissed all the bail applications and set Oct 15 for further mention of the case.
It was previously reported that police had shot dead two foreign nationals in Alor Setar, Kedah, last Saturday.
The suspects were believed to be members of a kidnapping syndicate that targeted foreign nationals, luring them with job offers and holiday packages after befriending them through dating apps and social media.
