JOHOR BARU: The fifth suspect in the kidnapping case of six-year-old Albertine Leo Jia Hui has been remanded for seven days starting today until July 29.
Magistrate Muhammad Fitri Mokhtar issued the remand order for the 31-year-old male suspect.
The suspect was apprehended at a budget hotel near Batang Kali, Selangor, at 4.45am earlier today and arrived at the Johor Bahru Court Complex at 3pm.
The suspect, transported from Selangor to Johor Baru in a Proton Persona, was seen wearing a Bon Odori Johor festival shirt, which was held at the Eco Galleria business centre in Iskandar Puteri over the weekend.
Leo was noticed missing around 8.30pm on Saturday at the mentioned business centre, which was hosting a festival highlighting Japanese culture at the time.
Yesterday, Johor police said they reclassified the case as kidnapping under Section 365 of the Penal Code for kidnapping or abducting with the intent to secretly and wrongfully confine a person.
The case is also being investigated under Section 14(2) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, due to physical contact with the child.
Three suspects, aged between 28 and 55, were arrested yesterday at 1.30pm in Iskandar Puteri, Gelang Patah, Johor to assist in the investigation.
Another suspect, a woman in her 40s, was also arrested at 12.15am today.
Leo was found safe in Batang Kali today.
Johor police chief Commissioner M. Kumar confirmed at a press conference today that the child had been found at a hotel there.