Woman pitted one married lover against another in extortion plan

After her affair with her married lover turned sour, the 27-year-old woman got involved with another married man, Muhammad Zainal Abdul Zailani.

Together with Zainal, 32, a former private hire car driver, she hatched a plan to swindle her first married lover of money.

Yesterday, Zainal was jailed for two years and given three strokes of the cane.

The married Zainal became involved with the woman some time after February 2017.

She and the victim, 38, cannot be named to protect his identity.

The victim, who has children, was in an affair with the woman from December 2014.

He gave her a monthly allowance of about $1,000 to $1,500.

When their relationship soured two years later, they stayed in touch.

He continued to give her an allowance of several hundred dollars a month so she could support her financially.

On May 2, 2017, at about 6.30pm, the former lover arranged to meet the woman at West Gate Shopping Centre.

Seeing an opportunity to get more money from him, the woman, who was out with Zainal, hatched a plan whereby Zainal would pretend to be a loan shark to extort money from the other man.

Zainal messaged the man to call him at about 7.30pm.

When he did, Zainal told him he was an Ah Long and was holding the woman hostage as she owed him money.

He also threatened the man by telling him he knew about his affair, his workplace, residential address and his wife's name.

DEMANDED MONEY

Zainal demanded that the man settle the woman's fictional debt, or he would harass the man and his family.

The man tried to negotiate for a lower payment, but Zainal insisted that he transfer $8,500 to the woman's account.

He then handed the phone to the woman, who pretended to be frantic and convinced him to make the transfer.

Afterwards, she gave $500 to Zainal.

Almost three weeks later, Zainal and the woman contacted the man again to demand another $10,000.

The man made a police report on May 21 and arranged to meet them at JEM in Jurong East that evening.

When the woman and Zainal went there, plainclothes officers ambushed them separately and arrested them.

Zainal pleaded guilty to one charge of extortion in common intention with the woman.

Another charge of extortion by threatening to expose the victim's affair was taken into consideration for sentencing.

In mitigation, Zainal's lawyer, Mr Sukhmir Singh, said he was not the mastermind of the plot but simply followed along.

Mr Singh asked for a sentence of two years and two strokes of the cane.

But Deputy Public Prosecutor Suhas Malhotra asked for two years and three months' jail, with three strokes of the cane, and argued that Zainal was not a passive player in the case.

District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan decided that Zainal was only a follower but that his role was instrumental.

For extortion, he could have been jailed for up to seven years and caned.

The woman has also been charged and the case is still pending. The pair have not made any restitution to the victim.