Four Chinese nationals claim trial over kidnapping of Singaporean man in Penang

Four Chinese nationals, including a woman, claimed trial at the Sessions Court in Penang on Sept 10 to charges of kidnapping a Singaporean man.



The accused – Liu Ting Jun, Huang Jin, Wang Hao Yu, and Guan Siqi – pleaded not guilty after the charge was read to them in Mandarin before Sessions Court Judge Ahzal Fariz Ahmad Khairuddin.



According to the charge sheet, the four are alleged to have acted jointly to abduct and wrongfully confine the 72-year-old Singaporean at Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas at around 4.15pm on July 26.



They were charged under Section 3(1) of the Kidnapping Act, read alongside Section 34 of the Penal Code. If convicted, the offence carries a term of imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years, as well as whipping.



Judge Ahzal denied all four bail applications after hearing arguments from both sides. The court fixed Oct 15 for document submission.



The arrests follow an Aug 7 police operation to rescue two kidnapping victims at a residence in Taman Amira, Alor Setar. Two foreign suspects were killed in a shoot-out with the police during the raid, while six others were subsequently detained to assist in ongoing investigations.