JOHOR BARU: Three teenagers, including two minors pleaded not guilty for allegedly kidnapping a 7-year-old boy on Dec 12, at the magistrate court, here, today.
Jonathan Yet, 18, and his two juvenile accomplices who cannot be named, aged 15 and 17, were charged for allegedly kidnapping the Singaporean boy at 5.15pm along Jalan Serampang, here, on Dec 12.
All three boys pleaded not guilty to the charges read in Mandarin before Magistrate R. Salini.
The charges were filed under Section 363 of the Penal Code for kidnapping and were read together with Section 34 for a criminal act by a gang, which stipulates an imprisonment term up to seven years and a fine, if found guilty.
Deputy public prosecutor Shamira Mohd Luthfi Ismail handled the prosecution, while the three accused were not represented by legal counsel.
The prosecution suggested a RM8,000 bail for each of the accused. However, they appealed for a reduction in bail.
The court set bail at RM2,500 for each of the accused, with the condition that the two underage defendants be guaranteed by their parents or guardians.
The court scheduled Jan 23 next year as the next mention date for the submission of social and moral reports from the Social Welfare Department.
On Dec 20, the boys were arrested in Pontian for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping.
The foiled Dec 12 kidnapping occurred when a Chinese national with a Singapore permanent resident status, was on a reconnaissance trip for a shoplot to open a workshop, with his wife, daughter and the boy.
Three men grabbed the boy who was playing outside the shoplot and bundled him into a car before speeding off.
The victim's father suffered severe injuries when he chased after the suspects' car, who later abandoned the vehicle with his son inside, unharmed.
The motive behind the kidnapping was allegedly to extort a ransom of RM300,000.