Four men charged with abducting woman

Beh Joo Siong, 31, Lee Fa Xian, 30, Soh Wei Lon, 35 and Agustinu Ratu, 39, nodded after the charge was read to them in Mandarin and Malay before Magistrate Azlan Bohari.

However, no plea was recorded.

The four men, and three other individuals still at large, were charged with intentionally holding the 44-year-old woman by wrongfully confining her in an empty semi-completed house in Kampung Lepau, Pelantar Pengerang, near Kota Tinggi, until her husband paid a ransom of SGD5 million for her release.

They were alleged to have abducted the woman from a house in Jalan Nuri 26, Bandar Putra here, about 7 pm last Feb 21.

Beh, Lee and Soh, who are from Johor, and Agustinus, from Batam in Indonesia, were charged under Section 3(1) of the Kidnapping Act 1961, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code.

The four men, who were unrepresented, face the death sentence, or imprisonment for life, and if not sentenced to death, is also liable to whipping, if found guilty.

The prosecution, represented by deputy public prosecutor Noor Farhana Adham, did not offer bail.

The court set April 26 for mention.