Albertine Leo’s parents do not know any of the kidnapping suspects

JOHOR BAHRU: Albertine Leo Jia Hui’s parents do not communicate with the five suspects who were remanded to assist with the kidnapping case.

Johor Police Chief, Commissioner M Kumar, said this includes the man who was found with the girl in a cheap hotel in Batang Kali, Selangor, on Tuesday.

“So far, the number of arrests remains five. The remand for four of them will end tomorrow; if there is no need, they will be released on police bail, while the remand for the last suspect will end on July 29.

“I would like to stress that the mother and father of the victim do not know all the suspects, but the investigation is still ongoing as to whether the five suspects know each other.

“The motive for the kidnapping and the relationship between the five suspects are also still under investigation. The question related to the shirt with the festival logo worn by the fifth suspect; the clothes can be bought at the festival,” he said.

He said this during a press conference at the Johor Police Contingent Headquarters (IPK) here on Thursday.

Also present were Johor Deputy Police Chief, Deputy Commissioner Afandi Senin, and Johor Bahru South District Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Raub Selamat.

However, Kumar said it was too early to say that the investigation into the abduction case was complete because his side was still investigating various other aspects.

“The investigation is still continuing in accordance with Section 365 of the Penal Code and Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offenses Against Children Act 2017.

“Meanwhile, I would like to thank all Malaysians who helped channel information so that the child in question could be found safely.

“The community also provides a lot of information and cooperation for us to ensure that Johor remains safe for all parties,” he explained.

On Saturday, Albertine Leo was reported missing by her family members while at the Bon Odori festival, which took place at the Eco Galleria in Iskandar Puteri.