Publicity hinders search, says IGP
JOHOR BARU: Publicity in the media and other publicity events have hindered the process of finding missing pastor Raymond Koh Keng Joo.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said while no new leads were found in the case, speculation regarding Koh’s abduction had had an adverse effect on the investigation.
“I have so many times advised the public that cases related to kidnapping for ransom should not be greatly publicised as it would put the victims in harm’s way and hinder police investigations.
“For those who publicised such cases, shut your mouth,” he said after chairing the Central Criminal Intelligence Upgrading meeting with Johor police departments in Senai yesterday.
He said publicity in the media, non-governmental organisations and individuals who wanted to highlight the case had interfered with police investigations.
“Publicity, such as the candlelight vigil, is a hindrance,” he said.
Khalid said the case had come up to almost 34 days, but police have not come close to finding him.
Koh was abducted from his car by a group of men in Jalan SS4B/10, Petaling Jaya, Selangor on Feb 13.
Closed-circuit television camera footage, believed to be of the incident, had shown at least 15 men in three black sports utility vehicles involved in the abduction.
He said a 32-year-old suspect, who was arrested on March 9 in Ampang to facilitate investigations turned out to be an opportunist who was unrelated to the alleged abduction.
“The man had wanted to fleece the Koh family of money since the news of the pastor’s disappearance became public,” said Khalid.
On a separate case, Khalid said a 44-year-old housewife was abducted and held captive for 27 days before police rescued her.
The woman, who is married to a businessman from Kulai, Johor, was abducted from her home on Feb 21 and taken to Batam, Indonesia, where she was kept in a barnhouse.
Khalid said the abductors contacted the family for ransom two weeks after she went missing.
He said the success of the rescue was due to the cooperation between the Malaysian and Indonesian police, who detained 18