Company charged for fire

[Cao Pi]

Jun 8, 2010
Company charged for fire

<!-- by line --> By Elena Chong
<!-- end by line -->
<!-- end left side bar -->

The company is also accused of having changed the use of the carpark lots into 20 rooms which it had rented out for storage purposes. This made its existing fire safety provisions inadequate, and which had posed a potential fire threat to its neighbouring properties as well as making it hard for fire fighters to contain the fire which broke out on April 21. -- PHOTO: NEWPAPER

A PROPERTY investment company was brought to court on Tuesday night for breaching the Fire Safety Act over the capark blaze at People's Park Complex in April. Grand City Investment, which manages the fifth-storey level carpark at Park Road, is alleged to have permitted the fire safety works comprising full-height partitioning works to create 20 rooms over its car parking lots without approval of the building plans. The company is also accused of having changed the use of the carpark lots into 20 rooms which it had rented out for storage purposes.

This made its existing fire safety provisions inadequate, and which had posed a potential fire threat to its neighbouring properties as well as making it hard for fire fighters to contain the fire which broke out on April 21 at about 3.30pm. The partitioned rooms have since been dismantled. The company's case was adjourned to June 22. It is represented by Mr Eric Chew Yee Teck. If convicted of the first charge, the company can be fined up to $50,000, and further fined up to $1,000 a day if the offence continues after conviction. For unauthorised change of use, the company can be fined up to $10,000, and a fine of up to $500 for every day during which the offence continues after conviction.

 

[Cao Pi]

Carpark operator fined $60k


Jun 22, 2010
Carpark operator fined $60k

<!-- by line --> By Elena Chong
<!-- end by line -->
<!-- end left side bar -->

A fire had broken out on the fifth floor of the People's Park Complex building on April 21. -- ST PHOTO: DAMIAN TAN

<!-- story content : start --> A CARPARK operator was fined a total of $60,000 on Tuesday on two counts of fire safety infringements which were uncovered after a fire at People's Park Complex. District Judge Ch'ng Lye Beng imposed the maximum fines on Grand City Investment, whose representative pleaded guilty to creating 20 rooms over its car parking lots on the fifth-storey level of the multi-storey carpark without approval. The maximum fine is $50,000.

The second charge was for the change of use of the approved car parking lots into 20 rooms which the company had rented out for storage purposes. As a result, this made existing fire safety provision inadequate; posed a potential fire threat to its occupants and neighbouring properties; as well as making it difficult for fire fighters to 'contain'' the April 21 blaze. Defence lawyer Eric Chew said in mitigation that the offences were committed inadvertently.

When his client bought the premises in 2004, the structures were already there and the seller had also provided a warranty that it had not erected any unauthorised structures. Pressing for a deterrent sentence, Major Azmi Adam said the structures erected had caused part of the multi-storey carpark's ventilation openings to be covered and impeded the natural flow of smoke. He said there was no sprinklers system, which had resulted in the fire to grow and spread unchecked before the arrival of the fire-fighters from Singapore Civil Defence Force.