KUALA LUMPUR: Six men pleaded not guilty in the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court on Monday (July 27) to charges of kidnapping a businessman and demanding RM8mil in ransom two weeks ago.
The six, car wash owner A. Ravichandran, 45; R. Elanggovan, 43; M. Jeyaraj, 43; used oil trader Moses De Bretto John Patrick, 40; Ziyauddin, 33; and e-hailing driver Muhammad Afiq Safine, 36, made their plea after the charges were read out before Judge Dr Syahliza Warnoh.
They were accused, together with seven others who remain at large, of kidnapping a 44-year-old man with the intent to demand an RM8mil ransom, at a restaurant in Dataran Sunway here at 5.15pm on July 16.
The charge was brought under Section 3(1) of the Kidnapping Act 1961, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which provides for a prison sentence of between 30 and 40 years, as well as caning, upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Loqman Hakim Ahmad Khaire did not offer bail, as the offence is not bailable.
"This case involves a substantial amount of RM8 million and carries a prison sentence of between 30 and 40 years," said Loqman Hakim.
Lawyers T. Daneish and S. Vinesh, representing Moses, applied for the court to allow their client to be released on bail, citing that the accused supports his wife and children.
Lawyer Kailash Sharma, representing Ravichandran, Elanggovan, and Jeyaraj, also applied for bail for all his clients on the grounds that they have families to support. Ziyauddin and Muhammad Afiq, who were unrepresented, made similar applications.
The court denied bail for all accused and set Sept 11 for case mention.
On July 19, police rescued the victim and arrested six individuals, including a woman, all aged between 30 and 46, in a special operation in Selangor.
Subsequently, on July 21, police arrested two more individuals at several locations in Selangor, including a former police officer in his 30s who had been dismissed in 2023, on suspicion of involvement in the kidnapping.
On July 22, media reported that the 44-year-old man rescued in the kidnapping had been detained under the Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act 1985, after preliminary investigations suggested he was believed to be involved in a drug syndicate. - Bernama
