Three kidnappers released on bond of good behaviour

0

SIBU: Two adult men and a teenager involved in kidnapping an infant last year were released on bond of good behaviour for two years, at the High Court yesterday.

The accused, Tiong Wee Kiet, John Ling Jii Chiew and a juvenile offender pleaded guilty to the alternative charge, which is punishable under Section 363 of the Penal Code read with Section 34 of the same code. The section provides for imprisonment which may extend to seven years and possible fine.

They were originally charged under Section 3 of the Kidnapping Act 1961, which provides for the death sentence or life imprisonment which includes whipping.

Tiong Wee Kiet and John Ling Jii Chew were both released on bond of good behaviour for two years with RM10,000 surety under the Criminal Procedure Code 294.

Under this bond, the court ordered both convicted men to attend at least two courses or workshops organised by their respective churches each year.

The court also ordered them to remain indoors from 10pm to 5am every day.

Meanwhile, the juvenile offender was released on bond of good behaviour for two years without surety, under Section 91(1)(d) of the Child Act 2001.

The court ordered him and his parents to attend interaction workshops at least once a year of which they must bring the juvenile offender to report to the probation officer in the last week of every month.

The juvenile was also ordered to remain indoors from 9pm until 5am. In the event that he has approved activities on weekends, then the confinement is from 11pm to 5am.

After giving the sentence, High Court Judge Yew Jen Kie said the court hoped that the two accused and the juvenile would appreciate the second chance.

“This time, the court is really giving you a chance, because you asked for another chance and I hope that you will not disappoint the court.

“There is no shortcut to become successful people and earn good money. You have to work hard to earn that.

“If you earn money illegally, that money does not belong to you and in the end you have to pay the price,” she pointed out. She added: “If you want to learn English or Bahasa Malaysia and to have good communications skill, you must have a heart for it and I believe there are people out there who are willing to help you.” She warned them if they committed another crime, they would receive heavier punishments.

According to the facts of the case, the accused committed the offence about 9.30am on Nov 2 last year at a house in Hua Kiew Road.

At the material time, the baby was sleeping in a sarong cradle together with the baby’s lawful guardian, Hii Mee Na. Suddenly there were knocks on the door causing Hii to open the door and two Chinese men forcibly entered the house.

The two men were Tiong and Ling.

Inside the house, Tiong showed a pistol, which was placed on his waist, to Hii and asked her not to make any noise.

Ling then took the sleeping baby and they both ran out of the house and left on a motorcycle.

They rode the motorcycle to a car park at Rajang Park where Tiong had parked his Kenari car.

Meanwhile, immediately after the baby was taken away, Hii called the baby’s aunt (Lina Tiong) and informed her about the incident, prompting Lina to lodge a police report.

At Rajang Park, Ling made a phone call to Hii and asked for money in exchange for the baby.

After various calls between Ling and Hii they agreed on the RM25,000 in ransom for the exchange.

Ling asked Hii to personally bring the money and in exchange Hii had to follow several instructions given. First, Hii was asked to place the money near the roadside at Civic Centre and to go to the Petronas petrol station at Tun Abang Haji Openg Road.

Ling went to the Civic Centre using his motorcycle to take the money, but changed his plan when he realised the presence of plain clothes police. He then asked Hii to take back the money and deliver it to Rajang Park car park.

Ling followed her to Rajang Park and instructed Hii to bring the money to Muhibbah area when he realised the presence of the policemen again at Rajang Park.

Hii was asked to place the money inside the bucket of a lorry parked at the roadside, in Gambir Road.

Meanwhile, at the car park area at Rajang Park, Tiong and Ling met again and Ling told Tiong about the unsecured situation.

Then both men planned to return the baby. They drove out from Rajang Park and while driving they saw a Chinese woman standing in front of the Methodist Pilley Institute.

Tiong, who was driving, stopped the car in front of the woman and Ling gave the baby to the woman without saying anything.

Seeing the act and hearing the baby’s cry, the woman took the baby and handed it over to the institute’s authority, which called the police and the baby was eventually rescued.

Both men drove to Muhibbah area and parked the car at the car park in front of Delta Mall.

There the men had drinks at the coffee shop near Moshi-Moshi Telecommunication shop about 20 metres from the car park at Delta Mall and about 50 metres from the lorry in Gambir Road where Hii placed the money.

At the coffee shop both men did not dare to take the money from the bucket of the lorry as there were many policemen around.

In fact, Head of Criminal Investigation Department, Sibu District and his team did the surveillance at almost every place where Hii was asked to place the money.

After being informed by the Operations Room,that the baby was found the police team at Muhibbah area arrested both men while they were having drinks at the coffee shop.

Chief Inspector Dayang, who did the surveillance at Gambir Road, seized the RM25,000 that was placed inside the lorry parked at the road.

The police also seized a Kenari Car parked at the car park in front of Delta Mall and the motorcycle belonging to the accused.

Police investigations revealed that the act was assisted by another person, the third accused, who was also Hii’s son.

The third accused gave the key to the main gate of his house to enable Tiong and Ling to enter the house compound.

He gave them his mother’s phone number to enable them to call her in order to get the money.

Police investigations also revealed that the pistol seized from Tiong was only a toy gun.

Forensic examination of the car and DNA analysis revealed the DNA profiles of all the accused and also that of the baby, developed from the swab taken from a can of drinks and a packet of baby wipes found inside the car.

In their cautioned statements all the accused admitted that they jointly planned to kidnap the baby to get a certain amount of ransom money.