The first case involved the kidnapping of a 10-year-old outside a tuition centre in Bukit Mertajam, following which a ransom demand of RM1.7 million was made.
Quaik Yong Lai, 40, Goh Jit Ee, 42, and Heng Tian Chuan, 40, were charged with committing the offence at Taman Jernih on June 29, 2016.
The boy was reportedly released in less than 24 hours.
In allowing the prosecutor’s case, justice Akhtar Tahir said the child’s earlier testimony was valid, given that he had positively identified his abductors as those in the dock.
Mohd Amril Johari prosecuted, while RSN Rayer and K Kumaraendran appeared for the three accused.
The second case involved Hawazanajmi K Shahapudeen, a 60-year-old money changer, who was allegedly kidnapped at the roadside by five men in Bayan Lepas.
The court ordered the five men – T Shasitaran, 38, M Ashokan, 39, Mohd Sultan Ahmad Kabir, 43, Ong San Chia, 37 and Yeoh Shyh Ming, 33 – to enter their defence.
The five men were said to have confined Hawazanajmi for five days after allegedly abducting him at Jalan Rumbia near Krystal Garden on Sept 28, 2016.
K Tangesvaran, Anthony Chew, R Dev Chander, S Ravichandran and Benjamin Tan represented the accused, while Muna Mohamed Jaafar prosecuted.
All eight were charged under Section 3 of the Kidnapping Act 1961, which carries life imprisonment or death upon conviction.
Akhtar told lawyers in both cases that the next hearing would be set later as he was now based at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.
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