Construction Worker Sentenced to Three Years for Abducting Palestinian Man

A 46-year-old construction worker has been sentenced to three years in prison by the Kuala Lumpur High Court for abducting and confining a Palestinian man in September 2022.

Judge Datuk Mohd Arief Emran Arifin handed down the sentence on October 12 after Edy Ko’im Said pleaded guilty to an alternative charge. The court ordered him to begin serving his sentence immediately.

Abducting Palestinian

The charge stated that Edy forcibly abducted the 31-year-old victim at Jalan Mayang, Dang Wangi, Kuala Lumpur, at about 10.40pm on September 28, 2022, with the intention of secretly and unlawfully confining him.

According to the case facts, the victim was taken to a chalet in Hulu Langat, Selangor, before police rescued him during a raid based on intelligence. The case was linked to efforts to obtain secret information about software used to hack mobile phones.

Seven other individuals have also faced charges connected to the alleged kidnapping operation. Some of those accused are additionally facing money-laundering charges.

Their cases are separate from Edy’s sentence, and the allegations against them must be determined through the courts. The case has drawn attention to the serious criminal risks surrounding the attempted acquisition of sensitive hacking technology and information.