Ex-Uber driver now charged for kidnapping pastor Koh

Former part-time Uber driver Lam Chang Nam, 31, was charged at the Petaling Jaya Magistrate's Court yesterday for kidnapping pastor Raymond Koh.

According to the charge sheet, prosecutors claimed that Lam, along with seven others who are still at large, had committed that act in Petaling Jaya at approximately 10.25am on Feb 13 last year.

If found guilty, Lam could be jailed up to seven years and fined.

Lam was charged last March with extorting RM30,000 from Koh's family, who was told that he could secure the latter's release.

The kidnapping charge against Lam came amidst intensifying scrutiny on Koh's (photo) disappearance, along with three others, by the Suhakam public inquiry.

Among others, Suhakam's probe will study whether the quartet's disappearance was a case of "enforced or involuntary disappearance" as defined by the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED).

ICPPED defines enforced disappearance as the arrest, detention, abduction or any other form of deprivation of liberty by agents of the state or by persons, or groups of persons, acting with the authorisation, support or acquiescence of the state.

The instrument was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2006. Malaysia is not a party to the ICPPED.

What about the Thai link?

Suhakam was unable to continue with its public inquiry on the matter because Section 12(1) of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act 1999 barred it from doing so on matters pending in court.

Although the public inquiry has been proceeding since October last year, Lam was never mentioned in the testimonies by any other police witnesses.

One witness told the public inquiry that he had "no idea" if Koh was still alive. 

The police have revealed few little details about developments regarding Koh's case.

In June last year, the police claimed that they found pastor Koh's vehicle license plate - ST 5515 D - after a raid in Kampung Weng Dalam, Kedah.

Several suspects were arrested in connection with the case. There have been no public announcements of developments since, other than to suggest Koh's abduction was linked to groups based in southern Thailand.

Koh was abducted by a group of men in broad daylight in what one cop told the Suhakam public inquiry resembled a "police operation". - Mkini