POLICE have charged a man with the kidnapping of a pastor after they had last year cleared him of involvement in the act because fresh evidence has emerged linking the suspect to the case.

“Investigations are still ongoing and we have found a new lead that associates Lam with Koh’s abduction,” said Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun in a statement yesterday. 

Police were looking for seven others linked to the pastor’s abduction who were still at large, Fuzi was quoted saying on Malay Mail Online.

In a dramatic turn of events yesterday, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) decided to cease a public inquiry into missing pastor Raymond Koh after learning that police had charged a suspect in connection with Koh’s disappearance.

Lam Chang Nam, a 31-year-old part-time driver, was on Monday morning charged with kidnapping Raymond Koh at the magistrates court in Petaling Jaya.

According to the Koh family’s lawyer, Gurdial Singh, the suspect had previously been arrested for attempting to extort money from the missing man’s son but was cleared of any involvement in the actual kidnapping.

Gurdial told The Malaysian Insight that police had said in a news report in March last year that Lam was not involved in Koh’s abduction.

“During the public inquiry, the former inspector-general of police (Khalid Abu Bakar) and Selangor CID chief SAC (Fadzil Ahmat) had, under oath, said that this person (Lam) was not involved at all.” he said

Lam, from Taman Sri Ampang, Ipoh, was arrested last year for attempting to extort RM30,000 from Koh’s son, Jonathan. 

Lam’s lawyer, Aaron Mark Pius, said the extortion case was set for trial and the first witness had been called and had testified.

Pius said he was shocked to learn that Lam was charged with kidnapping.

Suhakam was holding hearings to determine whether Koh’s abduction, which had occurred in broad daylight, as well as the disappearance of the three others in 2016, are cases of enforced disappearances sanctioned by the state. – January 17, 2018.