Three charged for extortion bid in Penang kidnap case

SINGAPORE — A man and two women were charged on Friday (Feb 26) with extortion in relation to the case of two brothers who were kidnapped in Malaysia last week and rescued unharmed on Wednesday.

The three who were charged are Benjamin Ling Jialiang, 26, Fong Ling Ling, 45, and Judy Wee Aye Fong, 52. 

Ling and Wee are Singapore citizens, while Fong is a permanent resident. They will be in remand for one week for further investigations. 

Wee was under supervision order when she committed the offence, and will be liable to twice the length of the maximum term of imprisonment if convicted. 

Investigations against another suspect are ongoing. A total of eight people have been arrested in connection to this case. 

The two Singaporean victims, who are 27 and 28 years old, were rescued by Malaysian police on Wednesday. They are still in Malaysia assisting police in the probe.

The brothers had travelled to Penang on business last Sunday. Subsequently, the older man’s fiancee received a call from an unknown Malaysian mobile number demanding that a ransom of US$250,000 (S$350,000) be paid for the release of her fiance. The police were informed late Monday evening.

The police coordinated their efforts with the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) to locate the victims and to track down possible suspects. They subsequently established the suspects’ identities as well as the location where the two Singaporean victims were believed to be held against their will.

On Wednesday, officers from the RMP raided a Penang hotel and arrested four Malaysian men. 

The Malaysian police also rescued the two victims. On the same day, Singaporean police arrested the four suspects in Singapore. No ransom was paid.

If convicted of the offence of putting a person in fear of harm in order to commit extortion with common intention, the three charged could be jailed for up to five years and caned.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this report referred to the three charged today as Singaporeans. Charge sheets showed that Fong is a permanent resident.