Second suspect also caught
Published on: Friday, April 18, 2008
Kota Kinabalu: Quick-thinking by a van driver ferrying passengers along the Keningau-Tambunan road led to the capture of the second suspect involved in the kidnapping and assault of a Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) student early Thursday.The 29-year-old local Bruneian from Membakut waved the van down close to the Keningau Golf Club, only to be instantly recognised by the driver who had seen his photo in the papers."He (driver) took a route knowing there would be a roadblock ahead and before he reached the checkpoint, cleverly alerted the police personnel there by flashing his headlights," said City Police Chief ACP Ahmad Sofi Zakaria.
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He said the suspect, on realising he had been ensnared, tried to resist arrest but was quickly overpowered by police."The suspect looked tired but was otherwise unhurt," said Ahmad, commending the van driver for his help.The suspect had fled from the Kancil he was in after it overturned and landed in a 20m ravine when police shot the vehicle's tyres on Wednesday morning, following a high speed chase along the Keningau-Tambunan road.His accomplice, a 20-year-old Bajau from Kota Belud was arrested shortly after he approached villagers at nearby Kampung Rompon for help. The pair had on Tuesday evening kidnapped the 22-year-old student from Sarawak from the Kingfisher Park area in Likas.
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Sabah Deputy Commissioner of Police SAC 1 Datuk Ab Razak Ab Ghani said police had reason to believe she was randomly picked by the two suspects but had planned what to do meticulously. He also said that the duo had been drinking before committing the crime."We will continue with the investigation from all angles because apparently the vehicle was also stolen," he said. Initial investigation showed that the kidnappers had been watching a Hong Kong movie that told the story of a group of people drinking and later committing crime.
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On whether the girl was sexually assaulted, he said investigations were continuing. "But from the injury (she suffered), she (probably) had been beaten and assaulted."The two men forced the second-year student from Sibu inside the car as she was walking to a hypermarket with seven friends at Kingfisher Park at about 7pm. The group of students had decided to drop by at the store before going to the Methodist Church located across the road for a fellowship outing. She was walking behind the rest when the dark blue Kancil pulled up beside her.Ivy, one of her friends, turned around to tell her to keep up. But to her horror, she saw the student being dragged into the Kancil.She dashed and tried to open the door but was sent sprawling onto the road when the Kancil sped off. Another friend who saw the incident quickly jotted down the Kancil's number. City police were notified and an alert was issued to their counterparts in Tuaran, Keningau, Beaufort and Sipitang. A police patrol car spotted the Kancil in Penampang but the kidnappers managed to give police the slip.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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