A POLICE officer, who was among four individuals allegedly involved in kidnapping and torturing a Bangladeshi journalist, has been charged.

Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan said the four were charged on November 22 at the Kuala Selangor magistrates’ court.  

The charges were framed under section 384 of the penal code for extortion, which carries a penalty of up to 10 years’ jail or a fine or whipping, or a combination. 

“Police have made a total of eight arrests in this case, and out of these, four have been charged,” Hussein was quoted as saying by news portal Free Malaysia Today.  

Yesterday, Kuala Lumpur police chief Allaudeen Abdul Majid said one of the three policemen suspected of involvement in the kidnapping were suspended from duty. 

The journalist from Bangladesh alleged that his investigative work in exposing a foreign workers’ syndicate operated by his countrymen here had resulted in his abduction and torture last month. 

He claimed his kidnappers also demanded a RM1.9 million ransom for his release, though he was freed three days later after they found out that the police were closing in on them. 

The incident allegedly took place at a house in Klang, Selangor, with the journalist claiming he was beaten, caned, kicked in the stomach, and had his hands bound by a group of men. 

The Bangladeshi journalist, who chose to remain anonymous due to safety concerns, claimed his ordeal began on November 7 when three individuals claiming to be officers from Bukit Aman took him from his home near Putrajaya for questioning. 

He claimed he was taken to a house near Kapar, where he was subjected to beatings “every hour”.

He said the beatings only stopped when he agreed to cooperate with them and gave them “whatever they wanted”, including his savings of nearly RM50,000. – December 1, 2023.