MALAYSIA: A Chinese national studying in Singapore has been fined RM17,000 (S$5,150) by a Malaysian court after pleading guilty to staging the kidnapping of another student in Kuala Lumpur.
Zhang Runbao was sentenced on Tuesday (27 May) after admitting to deceiving Cheng Zhiwen, the mother of 18-year-old Ye Yingxi, by creating a video that falsely depicted Ye as a kidnapping victim.
According to Free Malaysia Today (FMT), the video showed Ye appearing half-naked with his hands bound, mouth taped shut, and face drenched with water.
Zhang allegedly claimed that Ye had been choked and stomped on, demanding that Cheng transfer a ransom to a bank account in China.
The staged incident reportedly occurred at a hotel along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman in Kuala Lumpur between 11:44 am and 9:15 pm on 2 May.
Ye had reportedly travelled to Johor on 30 April, where he was allegedly abducted by a fellow Chinese national, who then contacted his parents in Dubai to demand a ransom.
The alleged kidnappers threatened to sell the teen’s organs if payment was not made.
However, initial doubts were raised due to a lack of details on how the youth was lured to or abducted in Malaysia.
Reports later indicated that Ye had been playing online games in Singapore the day before his departure to Johor.
On 13 May, both Zhang and Ye were jointly charged at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court for attempting to deceive Cheng into paying a ransom of 5 million yuan (S$893,800).
They faced charges of cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property, with an alternative charge of making a distressing video call to Cheng.
Malaysian media initially described Zhang as a friend of Ye, but Ye’s lawyer, Ramesh Sivakumar, clarified in a statement to CNA on 14 May that his client did not know Zhang personally.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Judge Azrul Darus granted Ye a discharge not amounting to an acquittal after Ramesh informed the court that Cheng had retracted her police report and no longer wished to pursue the case.
Zhang is reportedly a student at the National University of Singapore (NUS), while Ye is believed to be enrolled at the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM).
Both institutions have confirmed they are aware of the ongoing legal proceedings.
During sentencing, Deputy Public Prosecutor Noor Syafina Radzuan urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, noting that Zhang’s deceit had caused inconvenience to many and wasted public resources, including police efforts.
In mitigation, Zhang’s lawyer, Ernie Sulastri Ahmad, said her client was remorseful and that the 10 days he spent in police lock-up had served as a lesson.
She also stated that Zhang intends to continue his studies, which are expected to conclude by June next year.
Under Section 417 of the Penal Code, cheating is punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine, or both. If Zhang fails to pay the RM17,000 fine, he will face six months in jail.
The post Foreigner studying in Singapore fined RM17,000 for faking kidnapping in Malaysia appeared first on The Online Citizen.
