Man charged with helping kidnappers

Man charged with helping kidnappers

SINGAPORE (DPA): A Singapore food-stall owner has been charged
with receiving millions of dollars in ransom money from the
family of an ethnic Chinese man kidnapped in Indonesia, reports
said yesterday.

Mohamed Arifin Yahia, 54, allegedly opened a Singapore bank
account last June on the instruction of his cousin, 33-year-old
sales manager Rodiaman Rachman, who lives in the Indonesian
capital Jakarta.

Some 7.5 million Singapore dollars (US$4.5 million) were
reportedly transferred into Mohamed's account in exchange for the
release of Indonesian tycoon Sjamsul Nursalim, 55, who was
kidnapped in Jakarta last year.

Mohamed was charged in Singapore's Subordinate Court on Monday
with dishonestly receiving the money, the Straits Times newspaper
said. He is in custody while his case continues.

Nursalim, an ethnic Chinese otherwise known as Liem Tek Siong,
chairs Indonesia's Gajah Tunggal group. The company has interests
in tires, petrochemicals, banking and property.

Rachman, together with kidnap mastermind Supardi Ludiat and
five others, reportedly abducted Nursalim at gunpoint in Jakarta
on Sept. 2.

The kidnappers ordered Nursalim to hand over 12.5 million
Singapore dollars, a demand which they later reduced to 7.5
million, the Straits Times said.