Four charged with kidnapping baby
THE STAR
MALACCA: Four people, including a female tuition centre owner and her sister, were charged in a magistrate’s court here with kidnapping a 12-day-old baby last month.
No plea was recorded from Bong Wei Na, 24, her sister Bong Wei Yee, 21, Law Jie Wen, 21, and James Tan Chiat Shen, 18.
According to the charge read before magistrate Norina Maludin, the four had kidnapped and wrongfully held the baby, with the intention of demanding ransom as much as RM200,000 from the baby’s 20-year-old mother.
They were charged with committing the offence in a house in Taman Kota Laksamana, Seksyen 3, at 6.20pm on Nov 24.
The four were charged under Section 3 of the Kidnapping Act.
If found guilty, the accused can be sentenced to death or imprisoned for life, and whipped.
The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor Shazreen Nadia Saaban.
The court set Jan 11 for remention.
According to previous newspaper reports, the baby’s mother received an SMS at 6.52pm on the date of the incident that instructed her to pay a ransom of RM300,000.
After discussion, the kidnappers agreed to reduce the ransom to RM200,000 and the victim’s family paid the money at a tuition centre in Pulau Gadong the next day. — Bernama
