IGP: New evidence led authorities to charge suspect with kidnapping Pastor Koh

PETALING JAYA: New evidence led the authorities to charge suspect Lam Chang Nam in court with the kidnapping of missing Pastor Raymond Koh, said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun.

 

"The police have found new leads to link Lam Chang Nam to the case. Our investigation on the kidnapping is still ongoing," he said in a statement on Tuesday night (Jan 16).

 

He added that the suspect was charged on Monday (Jan 15) under Section 365 of the Penal Code for abduction.

 

"He is a suspect in the kidnapping of Pastor Raymond Koh early last year along with seven more individuals still at large," he said.

 

Lam's lawyer Aaron Mark Pius expressed his shock on the new charge when he spoke to The Star on Tuesday.

 

"Yesterday, Lam was charged with another serious offence, for kidnapping. My client pleaded not guilty to the charge," Pius said.

 

"We did not see this coming. The position we are taking is that my client denies all the allegations against him," he added.

 

Lam Chang Nam had been previously charged with extorting RM30,000 from Raymond's 33-year-old son Jonathan Koh Szu Hao for the release of his father.

 

Koh, 62, was abducted by a group of men along Jalan SS4B/10 in Petaling Jaya on Feb 13, 2017 while on his way to a friend's house.

 

CCTV footage, believed to be of the incident, showed at least 15 men and three black SUVs involved in Koh's abduction.