By Shannon Teoh
KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — The wife of the suspected mastermind in the kidnapping of 12-year-old Dutch national Nayati Shamelin Moodliar has denied any involvement or knowledge of the crime.
The Star reported this morning that she had cut short her holiday with her husband while in Paris when she learnt that the police were looking for her husband in connection with the kidnapping.
City criminal investigation chief Datuk Ku Chin Wah was quoted as saying the wife returned two days ago to lodge a police report and informed them her husband was not returning.
“We have not arrested her but are questioning her. She claimed she was not aware of her husband’s involvement in the kidnapping.
“No money or valuables were recovered from her but she is assisting us in our investigations,” he was quoted as saying.
Ku, who is leading the investigation team, added that Interpol was assisting police in the search for the mastermind who is said to be hiding in Europe after receiving a reported ransom of RM300,000 from the boy’s parents.
It was reported that the initial amount demanded was RM1 million before Nayati’s parents negotiated with the kidnappers to accept a smaller sum of RM300,000, some of which has since been recovered with at least six suspects arrested.
Nayati was kidnapped by two men on April 27 while walking to school in Mont Kiara here.
He was released at the Sungai Buloh rest stop on the North-South Expressway six days later after his family paid the ransom to secure his release.
The case captured public imagination with posters of the boy appearing across the Klang Valley in various languages after he went missing.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak also said on micro-blogging site Twitter “I appeal as a father for Nayati not to be harmed in any way,” and added that he has spoken to the Inspector-General Police to expedite the case.
Twitter also saw a trending topic #FindNayatiMoodliar and the news of his release had spread quickly across the social media platform.
The Dutch family has in the past week kept largely silent over the matter, saying a media blackout was to help ensure Nayati’s safety.
It was reported that Nayati, who was still in his school uniform, was abducted by two men in a black car at 7.35am a short distance from his school.
The men were said to have grabbed the boy while he was walking to school, bundled him into the car and sped off.