S'porean lawyer struck off rolls for stealing from HK hotel room

[M.Bison]

S'porean lawyer struck off rolls for stealing from HK hotel room
By Shaffiq Alkhatib | Posted: 26 May 2010 1804 hrs
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SINGAPORE: A lawyer has been struck off the rolls of legal practitioners following a hearing in the court of three judges today.

43-year-old Choy Chee Yean used to earn about S$700,000 a year when he was a partner at one of Singapore's largest law firms, Rajah & Tann.

But this came to an end after he pleaded guilty to stealing some S$1,800 worth of items from a Hong Kong hotel room in April 2008.

The judges in Hong Kong handed Choy a 12-month suspended sentence for committing the offence, which meant he did not have to go to jail.

However, if he were to commit an offence within a year, he may have to serve out the sentence for the initial one.

Choy is now a legal executive with Rajah & Tann. Speaking to reporters after the hearing, he said it has been a long journey and he was glad it is over.

The hearing was presided by Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong as well as Judges of Appeal, Justice Chao Hick Tin and Justice Andrew Phang. - CNA/fa

 

[kingrant]

Jees! WTF he stole? Towels? Carpets? The Bible? The furniture? The bed? That cost so much!

 

[jw5]

Jees! WTF he stole? Towels? Carpets? The Bible? The furniture? The bed? That cost so much!

According to previous news reports, he stole the personal items of another hotel guest, i.e. he went into another person's room.

 

[chobolan]

Law firm partner struck off


May 27, 2010

Law firm partner struck off
Judges take guilty plea into account in ruling

<!-- by line --> By Sujin Thomas
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Choy pleaded guilty two years ago to stealing electronic items from a hotel room. -- ST PHOTO: AIDAH RAUF

<!-- story content : start --> A SINGAPOREAN lawyer who stole items from a hotel room in Hong Kong has been struck off the roll of legal practitioners here. Choy Chee Yean pleaded guilty to the theft in a Hong Kong court two years ago and was sentenced to a year's jail, suspended for two years if he stayed out of trouble. He was also barred from practising in Hong Kong for five years. Yesterday, the Court of Three Judges found his conduct made him unfit to be a member of the legal profession. It heard Choy's case after a Law Society tribunal deemed it serious enough to be referred to the court of three judges.

The decision, by Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong and Judges of Appeal Chao Hick Tin and Andrew Phang, placed significant weight on Choy's guilty plea in Hong Kong - which has a similar legal system to Singapore - to committing theft, defined as 'dishonestly (misappropriating) property belonging to another'. Justice Phang said: 'Where the advocate and solicitor concerned has been guilty of dishonesty, the court will almost invariably, no matter how strong the mitigating factors... order that he or she be struck off the roll.'

Read the full story in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.
[email protected]

 

[kingrant]

Tsk tsk! He shld have gone to work for Lee & Lee. With 85% Singapore housed in HDB, he need not be stealing peanuts!

According to previous news reports, he stole the personal items of another hotel guest, i.e. he went into another person's room.