KUALA LUMPUR – Albertine Leo Jia Hui, who went missing, was found in a budget hotel in Batang Kali, Kuala Kubu Bharu, early this morning.
Johor police chief commissioner M. Kumar told a press conference today that she was with a 31-year-old suspect when the police found her.
The man, a local, was arrested at about 4am and brought back to Johor for further investigation into the kidnapping of the 6-year-old, Kumar added.
“The victim was rescued by police following a massive operation and public information, while the suspect was arrested and taken to Johor for further investigation.
“The victim was sent to the hospital for a medical examination.
“The motive of the incident is still under investigation, and the suspect will be brought to court this afternoon to be remanded,” he said.
Albertine had been missing since Saturday, July 20, while attending a Bon Odori festival event with her family at a shopping mall in the Eco Galleria business centre in Iskandar Puteri, Johor.
Kumar said the investigation into the case is being conducted under Section 365 of the Penal Code and Section 14(a) of the Child Sexual Offences Act 2017.
“These sections are applied for the case investigation because the child is a minor.
“Any physical contact, including pulling and touching, is not allowed, which constitutes an offence,” he said.
Kumar also confirmed that the victim was taken away in a vehicle from Johor.
Albertine’s parents have also been informed about the rescue, Kumar said.
“No call for compensation was received by the parents based on information from the victim’s family,” he added.
At the same time, Kumar urged the public to refrain from speculating or spreading false information to avoid disrupting the police investigation.
“As soon as this matter went viral, the victim’s family received numerous calls with inaccurate information, which interfered with the police investigation,” he said.
Kumar added that police have arrested five individuals, including the male suspect, to assist in the investigation.
“In addition to the three suspects who were arrested yesterday – two men and a woman – police arrested another woman late last night, with all of them already remanded.
“These five individuals do not have any familial connection to the victim,” he said. – July 23, 2024