Man goes on trial in ‘brazen’ Sheng Siong kidnapping case

SINGAPORE — It was his practice to put his name, a photo of himself, and his contact number on noticeboards at Sheng Siong supermarket outlets around Singapore, to allow customers to contact him directly.

On average, Mr Lim Hock Chee, founder of the Sheng Siong supermarket chain receives about five calls a day from people who are unhappy with its services or products. But on Jan 8, 2014, he received a call of a different order: A man informing him that his mother had been kidnapped and demanding a S$20 million ransom.

Mr Lim was among the witnesses to take the stand on Tuesday (Aug 30), as the trial of Lee Sze Yong, accused of kidnapping Mr Lim’s mother, began.

Lee allegedly searched for details of Mr Lim’s relatives and methods of rendering someone unconscious, as part of his “brazen” kidnapping plot, said prosecutors, who claim that Lee had been hatching plans to kidnap wealthy residents in Singapore.

A total of 30 witnesses will be called by the prosecution, among them Mr Lim and Lee’s accomplice Heng Chen Boon, who also took the stand on Tuesday, as well as the victim, Mdm Ng Lye Poh.

The incident was the first kidnap-for-ransom case in Singapore in more than a decade. Lee, 44, assisted by Heng, is accused of kidnapping Mdm Ng by duping her into getting into his car, and then demanding S$20 million in ransom from Mr Lim. 

Heng, 51, was sentenced to three years’ jail last year after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of helping Lee to abduct Mdm Ng. He was released from prison in January this year. 

Taking the stand on Tuesday, Mr Lim said that when he received the call at 12.45pm that day, he initially did not believe what he was told. But when he tried to call his mother on her phone, he could not reach her. 

His domestic helper was also unable to find Mdm Ng within the vicinity of their home. 

“I was worried, my maid couldn’t locate where my mother was,” said Mr Lim in Mandarin.

The plot was more than two years in the making. Lee was said to be deep in debt and had racked up about S$200,000 in loans from banks, friends and both legal and illegal moneylenders.

Sometime in 2011, the then-retail sales executive allegedly wanted to commit kidnapping so that he, his mother and Heng could be better off financially. The three of them lived in a flat at Hougang Street 51.

Lee began shortlisting potential targets by scanning through Forbes magazine’s “Singapore’s Richest” list and profiles of local companies online. In 2013, Lee started to keep tabs on Mr Lim and his family members after learning that he was worth around S$500 million. 

Over six months, Lee drove frequently to Mr Lim’s residence and observed Mdm Ng’s daily routine. 

On Jan 8, 2014, he allegedly approached Mdm Ng at an overhead bridge in Hougang Avenue 2 at about 11.30am, and told the elderly woman that her son had fallen in the office, and Lee would drive her to see him.  

Mdm Ng believed and followed Lee, who instead drove the rented car to Seletar Camp, where he blindfolded her. When Heng met them later in Lee’s car at Punggol End, he was “shocked” to see Mdm Ng blindfolded in the car, according to his conditioned statement, which was read out in court. 

Heng, who was unaware of Lee’s plans at the time, had asked Lee who the elderly woman was, but Lee told him not to ask questions. Testifying that Lee was a part-time investigator, Heng said Lee told him that Mdm Ng had something to do with his private investigation work. 

Later that night at about 8.30pm, Heng was asked to go to Sembawang Park, where Lee confessed that he had kidnapped Mdm Ng. 

Heng pleaded with Lee to let the elderly woman go, but Lee could not be dissuaded. Instead, he asked Heng to watch over Mdm Ng while he collected the ransom. Heng was also told to act as a lookout for any police vehicles in the area at the same time. 

At about 11pm, Mr Lim, who had since made a police report, dropped a bag of cash at a tree in the park, as instructed by Lee. 

Lee then dropped Mdm Ng off at a bus stop near Seletar Camp. The police subsequently arrested the two men. 

If found guilty of kidnapping, Lee faces the death penalty, or life imprisonment with caning.

The trial continues on Wednesday.