Federal Court Upholds 30-year Jail Sentence On Duo Convicted Of Kidnapping Businesswoman

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 20 (Bernama) -- The Federal Court today upheld the 30-year prison sentence imposed on two former real estate agents for abducting a businesswoman for a ransom of RM2 million 11 years ago.

A three-judge panel of the Federal Court led by Chief Justice Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh unanimously dismissed the appeal by Lew Ngee Chin, 53, and Chin Yoon Tack @ Chin Yoon Tock, 50, to set aside their conviction and sentence handed down by the Court of Appeal on Jan 22, 2024.

"The court found no appealable error by the High Court and the Court of Appeal. There is overwhelming evidence showing the appellants were involved in planning the act of kidnapping. We dismissed the appeal. The conviction and sentence handed down by the Court of Appeal are upheld," he said.

The other two judges are Datuk Nordin Hassan and Judge Datuk Che Mohd Ruzima Ghazali.

Meanwhile, the bench upheld the acquittal of Telaha Sanchis, 44, after Deputy Public Prosecutor Abdul Malik Ayob informed the court that the prosecution had withdrawn its cross-appeal over Telaha's acquittal.

The three men were sentenced to life imprisonment by the High Court on March 9, 2020, after they were found guilty of abducting and wrongfully confining the 63-year-old businesswoman with the intention of seeking RM2 million as ransom, at Wei Ben Wellness & Health Care Sdn Bhd in Taman Sea, Kelana Jaya, Selangor, at about 6 pm on Nov 10, 2015.

However, on Jan 22, 2024, the Court of Appeal set aside the life imprisonment imposed by the High Court on Lew and Chin and substituted it with 30 years’ jail.

The appellate court allowed the appeal brought by Telaha to set aside his conviction and life imprisonment. 

According to the facts of the case, the victim was abducted and confined in a shop house in Taman Bukit Anggerik, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur for seven days before being released near the Sentul LRT station on Nov 16, 2015, after the money was left at a spot along the southbound New Klang Valley Expressway.

Police then arrested the three men and recovered RM700,000.

During the proceedings today, lawyers Datuk Hisyam Teh Poh Teik and Afifuddin Ahmad Hafifi represented Lew and Chin, while Telaha was unrepresented.

-- BERNAMA