Case of ‘mistaken identity’

JOHOR BARU: A medical officer is worried for the safety of his family after loan sharks started harassing him and threw red paint in his neighbour’s house within a span of two weeks.

The doctor, who is 35 and declined to be named, said that his nightmare started when he found a pail with red paint outside his father’s home in Bandar Selesa Jaya at 2am on Sept 20.

“There was a note saying we owed them money and asked us to reply via a Singapore mobile number.

“They also put up the name of the borrower along with the person’s identity card number but we do not know who this person is,” he said, adding that the note said that if they do not make payment, their home would be burnt down.

The officer said he was now worried for the safety of his family as the loan sharks have now sprayed paint on his neighbour’s home in Bandar Selesa Jaya.

What a mess: The neighbour of the medical officer has lodged a police report after he found red paint splashed in his home two weeks after the medical officer’s home was splashed.

The latest incident occurred on Oct 10.

“I think they got the wrong person.

“The the note had another person’s name but the address was my home address,” he said, adding that this was clearly the case of mistaken identity.

At press time the neighbour had also lodged a police report.

The medical officer, who has been living in the house for the past 15 years, said that he had never borrowed any money from loan sharks.

“I am worried about the safety of my wife and child as well as my elderly parents. I hope these loan sharks will leave us alone as we did not borrow any money from anyone,” he said.

The officer added that he has also sought the assistance of Iskandar Puteri MP Liew Chin Tong.

He said he even tried to contact the two Singapore mobile numbers to explain and even showed their house documents but the loan sharks kept on saying that they were lying and asked them to locate the borrowers.

Liew’s officer Ng Siam Luang who visited the specialist said that it looks like it is a case of mistaken identity and hoped that the loan sharks would leave the family alone.

“We also hope the police will step up patrols in the area,”she added.

Meanwhile Iskandar Puteri OCPD Asst Comm M. Kumarasan said that police have since started investigations into the case.

“We view this case seriously and will step up patrol in the area,” he said, urging those with information to contact the hotline at 07-221 2999.