Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan said the four were charged on Nov 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, upon conviction.
“The police have made a total of eight arrests in this case, and out of these, four have been charged,” Hussein told reporters here.
Yesterday, Kuala Lumpur police chief Allaudeen Abdul Majid said one of the three policemen suspected of involvement in the kidnapping was 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 Nov 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.
He said his abductors were upset that he had asked “tough questions” to several Bangladeshi labour agents in a live TV programme.
The freelancer for prominent Bangladeshi TV channels claimed his captors decided to release him and arranged an e-hailing ride for him after learning that the police were closing in on them.
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