BERNAMA – Three men, including two Vietnamese nationals, were brought to the Malaysian Sessions Court yesterday on charges of kidnapping a property developer for a ransom of MYR20 million last month.
The accused, businessman Chong Shih Ming, 46, pleaded not guilty after the charge was read before Judge Datuk Che Wan Zaidi Che Wan Ibrahim, while Luong Van Tung, 39, and Tran Van Chung, 29, did not enter any plea as they did not understand the charge read in Bahasa Malaysia.
All three, along with an accomplice still at large, are accused of jointly kidnapping a 59-year-old businessman with the intent of demanding MYR20 million in ransom at Jalan Straits View around 5am on October 13.
The charge was filed under Section 3 of the Kidnapping Act 1960 (Act 365) and read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which carries a prison term of not less than 30 years and up to 40 years, plus whipping, upon conviction.
The judge allowed Chong MYR50,000 bail in one surety, with conditions of monthly reporting to the police station, surrendering his passport to the court, and a prohibition against contacting the victim and witnesses.
