Updated: 07/25/2013 16:05 | By Channel NewsAsia
Engineer who caused blackout at MBS avoids jail
SINGAPORE: A computer engineer who was convicted of hacking into the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) computer network last year and causing a partial blackout had his jail term set aside and fine reduced on Thursday.
Thirty-six-year-old Leslie Liew Cheong Wee, a Malaysian, had been sentenced by a district court to two weeks' jail and a S$30,000 fine for six charges of computer misuse.
Liew had appealed to the High Court against his conviction and sentence.
Justice Choo Han Teck upheld the conviction but lowered the sentence on Liew's sixth charge - from two weeks' jail and a S$15,000 fine to a S$3,000 fine.
Justice Choo noted that Liew's acts had drawn an "inescapable conclusion" that he deliberately intended to cause the blackout.
For example, Liew had gone through an elaborate process to give himself remote access through his personal computer to the system administrator in order to gain access to the system even though he was not authorised to.
Still, Justice Choo said it was not clear what exactly was the damage caused by Liew's actions and that there was no evidence that detailed it.
While the prosecution had earlier submitted that MBS's reputation would have been marred as the experience of its patrons would have been ruined, Justice Choo noted that this did not constitute damage as defined by the section of the act under which Liew was charged.
Justice Choo also pointed out that the prosecution had not led any evidence in the charge, or during the trial, to show that the blackout had threatened public safety.
Justice Choo then said the sentence on Liew's sixth charge should be neither more nor less than the sentences for his other five charges.
Liew was sentenced to a fine of S$3,000 on each of those five charges.
- CNA/fa
