Z
Zhou Tai
Guest
Youth jailed for staging his own kidnapping
A 22-year-old electrical trainee lost HK$100,000 gambling in Macao. When he returned to Hong Kong, Cheung Hou-lam staged his own kidnapping to get twice that amount from his parents.
But his plan was exposed after police found discrepancies in his statements. On Friday, the District Court sentenced Cheung to 20 months' jail and his accomplice, Huang Jing, to 18 months' jail.
On Jan 26, Cheung went to gamble in Macao. He lost all his cash including those borrowed from the relatives and loan sharks. He planned the kidnap while taking the ferry back home on Jan 29. He sought help from Huang, also 22, and promised to give him HK$20,000.
The same day, Huang called Cheung's mother to say that the son had been kidnapped. He demanded a ransom of HK$200,000. Later, Huang telephoned Cheung's father and "allowed" the son to talk to him.
In the conversation, the father told Cheung that his 47-year-old mother was hospitalised following a heart attack after she had received the call regarding ransom. Cheung cut off the conversation immediately.
He discussed with Huang what to do next. Then, Cheung directed Huang to call the father again, saying that Cheung was temporarily released, but he still had to pay the ransom otherwise Cheung would be kidnapped again.
The father called the police. Cheung returned home on Jan 30. The next day, he told the police that he was kidnapped by three men and taken to China.
But the border control had no record of him entering the country. Realising that his lies would be exposed, he admitted to haivng staged the kidnapping.
