Court orders kidnappers of Dutch boy to take the stand
Three men allegedly involved in the abduction of a Dutch teenager two years ago will take the stand after the High Court ordered them to enter their defence, The Star reported today.
The trio are self-employed Chong Tat Siong, 25; businessman Foong Khar Fai, 21; and unemployed Lee Phak Seng, 25.
The English-language daily said the trio would testify against charges of kidnapping the then 12-year-old in April 2012.
Justice Kamardin Hashim was quoted as saying that based on the victim's testimony and supporting evidence, the prosecution had proven a strong case.
During the prosecution’s stage of the trial, 29 witnesses were produced, including the teenager and his father. Despite his young age, the boy was found to be of sound of mind to give credible testimony.
The Star said the boy had identified Chong, Foong and Lee as individuals who kidnapped him from school, held him in a house in Chemor, Perak, and later released him at a rest area in Rawang, Selangor.
The English daily also reported that Justice Kamardin accepted the teenager's father's testimony that a demand for a ransom was received through his son's Facebook account and RM300,000 was agreed upon.
“I am satisfied that the testimony is sound and adequate to prove all elements of the charge,” Justice Kamardin was quoted as saying.
The Star said the court fixed from May 6 to 8 to hear the defence’s case.
It said lawyers for the defence were Rajinder Singh, Datuk Hanif Hashim, and Choong Joo Tian, while Deputy Public Prosecutor Nordin Ismail acted for the prosecution.
The daily also said the trio faced the death penalty or life imprisonment and possible whipping under Section 3 of the Kidnapping Act 1961.
The boy who was in his school uniform was abducted by two men in a black car a short distance from his school in April 2012.
The men were said to have grabbed the boy while he was walking to school, bundled him into the car and sped off.
The case gained public attention with posters of the boy appearing across the Klang Valley in various languages. – February 17, 2015.
