Ah nehs...

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#65
Ah neh lawyer

Quote: "Ms Mala, who attended the hearing via video, later asked that the case be stood down so she could attend to another client. The judge again chided her for this.

"Ms Mala, I don't know what planet you come from, but you do not ask the court to stand down just so you can attend to your other client," said the judge. "You'll be excused when I'm ready.""

Quote: "Ms Mala had asked that he be allowed to pay the fine in instalments. But when the judge asked her to provide the basic information needed for the application, she asked what the basic information required was. Judge Tan told her that this was something she as a lawyer should know."

2 men fined over illegal scheme leading to withdrawal of $32,000 from CPF account​

Samuel Chen (left) and Raymond Wong were fined after each pleading guilty to two charges of fraud under the CPF Act.

David Sun

June 30, 2021

SINGAPORE - Two men exploited an option to make investments using Central Provident Fund (CPF) monies, withdrawing more than $32,000 in an illegal scheme over a period of more than two years.
Samuel Chen Zhihao, 37, and Raymond Wong Tuck Wai, 38, were fined on Wednesday (June 30) after they each pleaded guilty to two charges of fraud under the CPF Act.
They each also had two similar charges taken into consideration for sentencing.
Chen, who masterminded the scheme, was fined $7,000, while Wong, who aided him in the scheme, was fined $5,000.
Chen had been the one to approach Wong, who had been his close friend since primary school.
Their plan involved Chen using his monies in his CPF Ordinary Account to cross-trade investments with Wong.


Chen would buy shares that had low trading volumes and sell them to Wong at an artificially low price.
Wong would then sell the shares back to Chen, who bought them back using his CPF monies at an artificially high price.
This way, Chen would consistently make losses in his trades and his CPF account, while Wong would make a profit in cash.
They were able to do this as the CPF Investment Scheme allows members to buy investment products using monies in their CPF Ordinary Account, with the goal of enhancing their financial security.

The proceeds from the sales of such products are required to be returned to the account.
However, Chen had actively sought out shares with low trading volumes, allowing the pair to manipulate the buying and selling of the shares exclusively to each other.
Wong kept a portion of the profits from the scheme and transferred the rest to Chen in cash.
Using this method, Chen managed to essentially withdraw more than $32,000 from his CPF from September 2017 to January 2019.
The proceedings of the case on Wednesday were marked by strong words from the judge to Chen's lawyer Mala Ravindran.
At one point, Ms Mala had tried asking that the court be cleared for the case to be heard.
But District Judge Tan Jen Tse chided her, saying that if there was no legal basis for her request, she should not bother making the application.
Ms Mala, who attended the hearing via video, later asked that the case be stood down so she could attend to another client.
The judge again chided her for this.
"Ms Mala, I don't know what planet you come from, but you do not ask the court to stand down just so you can attend to your other client," said the judge.
"You'll be excused when I'm ready."
During mitigation, Ms Mala said her client was "robbed of a clean record" because of the offence, and asked for a low fine to be given.
Chen has been ordered to pay back more than $46,000 to his CPF, on top of the fine that was handed to him on Wednesday.
Ms Mala had asked that he be allowed to pay the fine in instalments.
But when the judge asked her to provide the basic information needed for the application, she asked what the basic information required was.
Judge Tan told her that this was something she as a lawyer should know, before saying he was going to deal with Chen directly instead.
He ordered that Chen pay $1,000 first, with subsequent instalments of $500 to be paid monthly.
For each charge of defrauding the CPF with their scheme, the men could have been jailed for up to six months, or fined up to $5,000, or both.

 

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#66

Man gets 3.5 years jail, 9 strokes of cane for explosions outside police post, smashing glass walls
By WONG PEI TING
Published JUNE 30, 2021

Police tape cordoning off an area around the Kallang Neighbourhood Police Post, which is an e-kiosk, on March 14, 2020.

• Sivaprakash Mailravanan started a fire outside the Towner Road police post, which resulted in at least 16 explosions
• He also smashed the glass walls of the police post and vandalised the walls near it
• The court heard that the 31-year-old suffers from a psychiatric disorder
• His lawyer urged “sympathy of the court”, saying that Sivaprakash became “mentally disturbed” after his marriage broke down
• The prosecutor said he is potentially dangerous and the public has to be protected from him

SINGAPORE — A 31-year-old man, who started a fire outside a police post, smashed its glass panels and vandalised walls near it with the words “ISIS” and “F*** PAP”, was sentenced to three and a half years in jail and nine strokes of the cane on Wednesday (June 30).

The court heard that Sivaprakash Mailravanan was suffering from a delusional disorder when he committed the acts at Kallang Neighbourhood Police Post, located on the first floor of Block 105 Towner Road, last March.

Dr Stephen Phang, a psychiatrist from the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), said in his report that Sivaprakash falsely believes that people are conspiring against him and that his long-term goals are being obstructed.

Dr Phang also said that Sivaprakash, a safety officer, had a “manifestly excessive preoccupation” with the plight of the underprivileged, which changed into an enduring hatred for the Government, reaching delusional proportions.

Sivaprakash fails to accept that his abnormal behaviour emanates from a psychiatric disorder, which could make him a potentially dangerous man if he rejoins society untreated, the psychiatrist added.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Marcus Foo said that jail term of at least three-and-a-half years is warranted because the public needs to be protected from Sivaprakash.

Sivaprakash’s lawyer Manickavasagam RM Karuppiah Pillai told the court that his client needs “sympathy of the court” rather than punishment, pointing out that he became “mentally disturbed” after his marriage broke down.

“Sentencing him to a high level of time in prison, in my humble submission, won’t work for him,” Mr Manickavasagam said.

Sivaprakash, who attended court via video-link, did not speak in court on Wednesday.

In sentencing Sivaprakash, District Judge Kessler Soh agreed with the prosecutor’s submission and said that the proposed sentence is “reasonable and justifiable” considering the gravity of the offence committed.

For committing the offence of mischief by fire, Sivaprakash could have been jailed up to seven years and fined.

For vandalising, he could have been jailed up to three years or fined up to S$2,000, in addition to getting between three to eight strokes of the cane.

He could be jailed for up to another five years and caned with at least six strokes for his offence under the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act.

A PLAN TO EXPRESS HIS VIEWS

Court documents stated that Sivaprakash developed an interest in social affairs in 2009 and developed the view that various government policies in Singapore were unfair, favoured the well-to-do, and that the authorities were overly restrictive.

In January last year, he wanted to express his deep resentment by staging a protest and passing around flyers but felt that it would not have the effect he desired.

He came up with a plan to burn down a police station and smash police cars with the goals of giving a speech once a crowd formed and to air his grievances in court after his arrest, DPP Foo said.

He sketched out his plan that detailed where to position his speakers and indicated where police cars would be parked.

He later revised his plan to create a fire outside the police post because he did not want to affect the residents living above it and decided to create explosions by burning aerosol deodorant cans.

DAY OF THE ATTACK

Before arriving at the police post in a lorry at around 11pm, Sivaprakash drank eight cans of beer.

He also used a pump to extract diesel from the lorry into two 2L plastic bottles and made five trips between his home and the lorry to move the items.

His brother, Mr Venghadesh Mailravanan, questioned what he was doing but he lied that he was going for reservist and only told him of the plan when probed.

His brother and his friend, Mr Ravi Kumar Sharma — who later tailed Sivaprakash to the police post — then tried to dissuade him to abort the plan but he would not listen.

Sivaprakash started by smashing glass panels at the police post using the axe.

He then placed a suitcase containing clothes and the deodorant on the pavement about 3m away from the entrance of the police post, poured petrol over it and set it on fire using a lighter.

There were at least two explosions as a result.

He then tried to make the fire bigger by adding more suitcases and two mattresses to the mix, leading to at least 16 explosions.

The police received 56 calls from members of the public but no one was injured apart from Sivaprakash himself, who sustained superficial burns on his face and finger.

DPP Foo said that investigations had revealed that Sivaprakash had learnt about the terrorist group Isis some years before the incident and formed the view that the group was being persecuted and turned violent as a result.

“While he did not personally support the said terrorist group, the accused spray painted ‘ISIS’ on the said pillars of the HDB void deck knowing that this would create terror and alarm to those who witnessed this,” DPP Foo told the court.

“He did this to signal to the Government that backlashes may ensue from those the accused perceived to be poor and oppressed.”

 

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#67

Jail for two former Shell employees linked to case of stolen gas oil worth over $200m​

The two received at least $700,000 and about US$150,000 respectively through their participation in the conspiracy.

Shaffiq Alkhatib
Court Correspondent

Jul 5, 2021

SINGAPORE - Two former Shell Eastern Petroleum employees linked to a case involving more than 300,000 tonnes of stolen gas oil worth over $200 million - the largest ever amount for such a case in Singapore - were jailed on Monday (July 5).
Former authorised gas safety tester Muhammad Ashraf Hamzah, who along with other colleagues misappropriated 55,321 tonnes of gas oil worth nearly US$25 million (S$33 million) between 2014 and 2016, was sentenced to 9½ years' jail.
The 39-year-old Singaporean received at least $700,000 through his participation in the conspiracy.
In January, he pleaded guilty in a district court to nine counts of criminal breach of trust involving gas oil worth more than US$18 million.
Nine other similar charges linked to the remaining amount were taken into consideration during sentencing.
Ashraf also admitted to one count of laundering a portion of his ill-gotten gains when he bought a car, a Volvo, for about $200,000 in 2017.

His former colleague, Sadagopan Premnath, 40, who worked as "either a fieldman or panel operator", was sentenced on Monday to six years and eight months' jail.
In December last year, the Indian national admitted to his role in misappropriating gas oil worth about US$36.1 million between 2017 and 2018.
Sadagopan received about US$150,000 from his involvement in the scheme.
The cases involving other alleged offenders including Muzaffar Ali Khan Muhamad Akram,40, Juandi Pungot, 44, and Abdul Latif Ibrahim, 63, are pending.

The oil heist took place at Shell Pulau Bukom, the company's largest petrochemical production and export centre in the Asia-Pacific region.
The court heard that some time in 2007, Juandi and Abdul Latif started a conspiracy to misappropriate gas oil from Shell.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Stephanie Chew told the court that they began to conduct "illegal loadings for the Anic 1 bunker ship", a vessel owned by Sentek Marine & Trading.
"Juandi and Latif were able to continue undetected, as they would tamper with the bunker meter. Emboldened by their success, Juandi and Latif continued to expand their criminal enterprise," she said.
The court heard that between 2008 and mid-2013, the pair expanded their illegal loadings to many other bunker ships, and recruited other colleagues, including Ashraf who was roped in no later than 2010.
Ashraf left the syndicate in 2016.
The court was told that Juandi recruited Sadagopan into the syndicate in mid-2017.
The DPP said that Muzaffar was recruited between late 2007 and early 2008.
A Shell representative alerted the police in August 2017 after the company detected the loss of fuel.
Anyone convicted of criminal breach of trust can be jailed for up to 15 years and fined.

 

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#68


Forklift operator jailed after running over co-worker’s legs, which had to be amputated

By LOUISA TANG
Published JULY 06, 2021

SINGAPORE — After failing to see a fellow worker cross his path at a worksite, Periyasamy Vivek could not apply the brakes on his heavily laden forklift in time, knocking the man down and running over his legs.

The victim sustained multiple fractures and eventually had to have his legs amputated above the knees. He was later fitted with prosthetics and can walk with mobility aids.

Periyasamy, a 34-year-old India national who was employed as a supervisor by marine and offshore engineering group Sempcorp Marine, was jailed for two weeks on Tuesday (July 6).

He pleaded guilty to one count of causing grievous hurt to Mr Sevugaperumal Balamurugan, a 36-year-old India national, by a negligent act on March 23 last year.

The victim worked for a subcontractor of Sembcorp Marine and operated a hydro jetting machine, while Periyasamy was a forklift operator. Both were working at a Sembcorp Marine worksite at 80 Tuas South Boulevard.

Periyasamy was tasked with shifting concrete blocks that each weighed 5,000kg.

After loading one such block and some wooden wedges onto the forklift, which obscured his frontal vision while he was in the driver’s seat, he moved in reverse while keeping a lookout.

However, he then went against safety protocol by moving forward when he realised that he would hit some paint cans if he reversed any further.

Periyasamy also knew that he had to keep a safe distance from others to ensure that the forklift could be brought to a safe stop at any time, taking into account its load, and he had to pay attention to his operating environment at all times.

Mr Sevugaperumal then walked across the open space of the dry dock on the way to the toilet. He had noticed Periyasamy moving slowly but picking up speed soon after.

Mr Sevugaperumal tried to take a step back but did not manage to avoid the forklift. The concrete block it was carrying collided into his left hip, causing him to fall.

Periyasamy applied the brakes but the forklift did not stop immediately due to its load. Its wheels ran over both of Mr Sevugaperumal’s legs before eventually coming to a stop.

The victim was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital before being transferred to the National University Hospital (NUH) given his severe injuries.

He underwent surgery to amputate his legs and was hospitalised at NUH for 11 days.

In mitigation, Periyasamy — who did not have a lawyer — pleaded through an interpreter for a lighter sentence, saying that he was his family’s sole breadwinner and “facing significant debts”.

“I didn’t do it on purpose; I was only going forward a short distance. As much as the fault lies with me, the victim could have also stopped and not gone ahead.

“In any case I’m praying for a lighter sentence and, if possible, a fine so I can go back home as soon as possible,” he added.

He could have been jailed for up to two years or fined up to S$5,000, or punished with both.

 

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#69

High Court revokes LPA, says woman signed under 'undue pressure' from doctor son​

Court documents reveal an acrimonious relationship between the man and his family.

Selina Lum
Law Correspondent

JUL 7, 2021, 5:54 PM SGT

SINGAPORE - A general practitioner, who nursed grievances against his parents for forcing him to study medicine, took his mother to sign a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) five days after learning of his father's plans to do so.
At a psychiatrist's clinic in June 2015, the woman, then 58 and suffering from dementia, appointed her only son as her donee, giving him the power to make decisions and act on her behalf if she loses mental capacity.
However, a High Court judge on Tuesday (July 6) allowed an appeal by the woman's husband and two daughters to revoke the LPA.
In a written judgment, Justice Choo Han Teck concluded that while the woman had the mental capacity at the time to execute the LPA, she had probably done so under undue pressure from her son.
As the woman now lacks mental capacity, the judge said the family should apply for a deputy to be appointed under the Mental Capacity Act.
If none of them are found to be suitable, a professional deputy may be appointed by the court.

In his judgment, Justice Choo considered the history of acrimony between the son and his family and text messages showing the heated disputes over who should care for the woman.
Justice Choo expressed doubts about the son's claims that he had reconciled with his mother in 2014, especially when she was showing signs of cognitive impairment. He also found it odd that the son insisted on caring for his mother at this juncture.
The judge said the son's rush to execute the LPA seemed to be motivated by animosity towards his family, and suggests that he had pressured his mother into her decision.
The judge added that when the son told his mother he would have to "leave without her" if she did not tell the psychiatrist she wanted him to care for her, the woman would have felt pressured to appoint him as her donee, lest she be left at the clinic.

The woman, now 64, and her husband, 65, are former Tamil-language teachers. Their son is 38 years old, while their two daughters are aged 34 and 28.
The parties were not named in the judgment.
Court documents reveal an acrimonious relationship between the man and his family.
The son stopped talking to both his parents at the end of 2010 or beginning of 2011.
In a long, vitriolic e-mail in November 2012, he blamed his father for preventing him from studying liberal arts overseas, and making him study medicine at a "third rate" local university instead.
He said in the e-mail that with his IQ of 160 to 180, there were only 340 to 350 people in the world who were as smart as or smarter than him.
"Instead of working and teaching at a top, internationally renowned university, I am a no-name Dr in Singapore," the e-mail said.
The son was also angry that his father had taken a loan for his medical education and expected him to pay it back.
"You didn't just deny me a future. You denied the world someone truly gifted. I wouldn't curse a father like you on anyone," he said.
He also told his youngest sister in November 2013 on Facebook: "I have very strong valid reasons to hate your parents; they made me live like a pauper, pay for my own uni."
On June 25, 2015, he learnt that his father intended to obtain an LPA for his mother.
Five days later, he went to the psychiatrist, picked from his shortlist, who had given him the "earliest appointment" to assess his mother's capacity for the LPA.
In January 2016, the son said in an affidavit that his relationship with his mother fully mended in 2014 after "many heart-to-heart conversations".
In March 2017, the father and two daughters, represented by lawyer Suresh Damodara, applied to revoke the LPA, arguing that the woman lacked mental capacity.
Several relatives filed affidavits to support the son, with one aunt saying that the challenge to the LPA was filed "out of spite".
After the challenge was dismissed by a district judge, the father and daughters appealed to the High Court.

 

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#70

Jail, fine for man who verbally abused and assaulted bus driver who told him to wear mask properly​

Nadarajan Mariesusy pleaded guilty to one count each of harassment, assault and an offence under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act.

Shaffiq Alkhatib
Court Correspondent

JUL 9, 2021

SINGAPORE - A bus passenger talking on his mobile phone with his mask down flew into a rage and hurled vulgarities at the driver who told him to wear it properly.
Nadarajan Mariesusy also hit Mr Sulaiman Junadi on his left shoulder before alighting.
The 40-year-old Malaysian pleaded guilty on Friday (July 9) to one count each of harassment, assault and an offence under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act.
He was sentenced to two weeks' jail and a fine of $4,000. He will spend an additional eight days behind bars if he is unable to pay the fine.
At 7.50pm on July 31 last year, Nadarajan boarded bus service 130 along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 and was seen wearing his mask over only his chin while talking to his wife on the phone.
When Mr Sulaiman advised him to wear the mask properly, he complied before taking a seat at the back of the bus.

But the driver later saw Nadarajan with his mask down again.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Hidayat Amir told the court: "At or about 7.58pm, when the victim stopped the bus at a bus stop, he turned to the back of the bus to address the accused briefly and advised him to wear his mask properly again.
"The victim informed the accused that this was required under the laws of Singapore."
A minute later, while the bus was moving, Nadarajan walked towards Mr Sulaiman and abused him with vulgar language. He then assaulted the driver before alighting.
The DPP said Mr Sulaiman felt that he was no longer able to drive and informed the SBS operations office. One of his colleagues then alerted the police.
On Friday, Nadarajan, who did not have a lawyer, pleaded for leniency .
For assault, he could have been jailed for up to three years and fined up to $5,000.
For committing the offence under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act, he could have been jailed for up to six months and fined up to $10,000.

 

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#71

Foreign worker jailed for going to Changi Airport in bid to fly to India; later tested positive for Covid-19

By LOUISA TANG
Published JULY 12, 2021

Balachandran Parthiban leaving the State Courts on Nov 18, 2020.

• Balachandran Parthiban was told not to leave SGH while waiting for his Covid-19 swab test results
• He left anyway for the airport by bus and taxi, intending to buy a ticket to India
• He later tested positive for Covid-19
• Balachandran later disobeyed an order to stay within his dormitory and made a second attempt to buy a flight ticket

SINGAPORE — A 26-year-old foreign worker was sentenced to nine months’ jail on Monday (July 12) for trying to leave Singapore during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic when he had been told to wait in hospital for the results of his swab test.

Balachandran Parthiban’s test came back positive for Covid-19 after he was picked up by the police at Changi Airport and escorted back to Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

The Indian national had taken public transport there, tried unsuccessfully to buy a ticket to India, and loitered at Terminal 1 for about four hours.

He later breached an isolation order and went to the airport again in another bid to fly back home.

After he pleaded guilty in May to one charge each of exposing others to the risk of Covid-19 and leaving an isolation area without permission, his pro bono lawyer Cory Wong asked for him to be remanded in the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for psychiatric evaluation.

Following a nearly four-week stay in IMH, Balachandran was diagnosed with “adjustment disorder with mixed disturbance of emotions and conduct” around the time of his offences in May last year.

Dr Stephen Phang found that the “minor” mental disorder did not cause him to abdicate his capacity to assume mental responsibility for his actions.

He still retained the mental capacity to differentiate right from wrong and was not of unsound mind, the psychiatrist added.

Nevertheless, his subsequent psychiatric history showed that he later developed full-blown “schizophreniform psychosis, which was likely to have been reactive to, and precipitated by the ongoing stress of being held under conditions of security, together with his ongoing concerns about his family situation back in India”, Dr Phang’s medical report stated.

When in IMH, Balachandran reported hearing voices instructing him to commit suicide and which made it difficult for him to control his actions.

He is now on a reduced dosage of antipsychotic medication as he is clinically well, the psychiatrist added.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Norman Yew sought 10 months’ jail for Balachandran, while Mr Wong asked for six-and-a-half months’ jail.

In sentencing, District Judge Ronald Gwee took into consideration two other charges of exposing others to the risk of infection and of using insulting words towards a health officer.

For each charge of breaking Covid-19 laws, Balachandran could have been jailed for up to six months or fined up to S$10,000, or both.

WHAT HAPPENED

The court earlier heard that Balachandran was a resident of the Jurong Penjuru dormitory, which had been gazetted as an isolation area on April 18 last year to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

On the morning of May 23, he reported sick at his dormitory and complained of fever and sore throat.

He was then taken to SGH by ambulance to undergo a Covid-19 swab test at around 12.45pm.

About an hour later, he was transferred to the hospital’s "fever screening area" at SGH’s multi-story car park and repeatedly told to wait for his swab test results.

However, he left the car park at around 5.35pm without giving notice because he wanted to buy a flight ticket back to India at Changi Airport. He walked 2.1km before taking a public bus and taxi.

His swab test results later showed that he was a confirmed Covid-19 case.

At the airport, he tried to buy his flight ticket, but to no avail, and was later picked up by the police after they found him loitering at Terminal 1. They escorted him back to SGH.

Balachandran completed his period of isolation in the hospital on June 8 last year and was diagnosed to be no longer infectious. He went back to the dormitory, was ordered to serve another 14 days' leave of absence and was not allowed to leave the dorm.

But he again left for the airport on June 16. He wanted to leave Singapore because he knew that there were many dormitory residents who were infected, the court heard.

He took a taxi to the airport at around 5.50am that day with the intention of buying a flight ticket to India, but was again rejected.

After spending the night sleeping at the airport, he went to a relative’s home in Tampines the next day, and revealed that he had left his dormitory without permission.

The relative called and alerted Balachandran's supervisor, and the police arrived to escort him back to the dormitory at around noon that day.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#72

India school logo same as S’pore Sports School logo, principal says nothing to discuss​

The logo was first designed by Ukulele, a commercial brand consultancy in 2003.
Matthias Ang |

July 16, 2021, 12:18 PM

Events​

Cellarbration Alcohol Warehouse Sale​

24 June 2021 - 31 July 2021



Here's how the logo of Singapore Sports School (SSS) looks:

Source: Singapore Sports School Facebook



And here's how the logo of a school in Nagpur, India's state of Maharastra, known as Gaikwad Patil International School (GPIS) looks:

Source: Gaikwad-Patil International School Facebook



Both logos look exactly the same.

Principal claims school is now closed and there's nothing further to discuss​

In reponse to Mothership's queries, SSS said that they had reached out to the principal of GPIS about the matter, as well as the school itself through the "Contact Us" page on their website.
The principal then replied SSS, by sharing that she had left the job and that the school "is also shut now". As such, the issue of the two schools having the same logo "does not need any further discussion."
SSS added that they interpreted the principal's comments to mean that GPIS is now closed.
In addition, SSS asked the principal if she was aware as to whether the school's owner intends to take down the website, since the school is now closed, adding that it would otherwise be misleading having the website remain live.
SSS also requested that the principal refers them to the owner of the school, if she was not yet aware.
However, on these matters, SSS added that it has not received any further response from the principal since then.
The schools' website appears to have since become inaccessible.

Principal has assumed new job at DPIS which is located at the same address as GPIS​

Meanwhile, the principal appears to have assumed a new job at Delhi Public International School (DPIS), which appears to be at the same address as GPIS, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Her last post on GPIS was about two months ago, in which she put up a poster stating that applications for GPIS were open.

Image via Shabih Chaurasia LinkedIn

Image via Shabih Chaurasia LinkedIn

GPIS also appears to have been promoted by DPIS before, with a video by the latter in 2019 advertising the former's facilities.

Who designed the SSS logo?​

According to SSS, it was designed by Ukulele, a commercial brand consultancy in 2003.
The trademark was first registered on Sep. 16, 2003, with the school taking in its first cohort of student-athletes in 2004.


Top collage left image via Singapore Sports School Facebook, right image via Gaikwad-Patil International School Facebook

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#73

Company CEO jailed 2 weeks for assaulting taxi driver​

Shaffiq Alkhatib
Court Correspondent

July 21, 2021


SINGAPORE - The chief executive officer of a wholesale trading firm was on Wednesday (July 21) sentenced to two weeks' jail for assaulting a taxi driver whom he had accused of being racist.
Mohammad Alvee Rana, now 26, from R & J Union had earlier pleaded guilty to one count of voluntarily causing hurt.
According to the Singaporean who originally came from Bangladesh, the victim, Mr Rajadorai Doraisamy, had said that he was "uncivilised" and came "from a third world country".
The 58-year-old Singaporean cabby, however, denied making such statements.
Assistant Public Prosecutor Lydia Goh said that Alvee and his girlfriend had boarded Mr Rajadorai's taxi near Boat Quay at around 10pm on Oct 21, 2019.
Alvee then asked the driver to change the radio channel but the older man replied that he did not know how to do so.


They were on their way to Novotel Singapore On Stevens hotel when Alvee asked Mr Rajadorai to stop the taxi along the road as he needed to urinate.
APP Goh said: "Raja told the accused that he could not just stop the taxi as there were too many cars behind him.
"The accused then told Raja if he did not stop the taxi to let him urinate, he would urinate inside the taxi."
Mr Rajadorai stopped the taxi along Stevens Road and Alvee alighted.

The court heard that the cabby then asked the younger man's girlfriend where she came from and the woman replied that she came from Bangladesh.
Mr Rajadorai then said: "Oh, you are from Bangladesh."
The woman was offended by his comment and told Alvee about it. An argument ensued between the two men with Alvee accusing Mr Rajadorai of being racist.
The older man said that "it was not right to urinate along the side of the road" but he continued driving the couple to the hotel.
When he arrived at the hotel, two bellmen came forward and Alvee's girlfriend stepped out of the taxi.
Alvee argued with the cabby again before throwing the fare at the older man.
The younger man then alighted and walked away with the woman after abusing the cabby with vulgar language.
The court heard that Alvee returned soon after and shouted aggressively at Mr Rajadorai.
The APP said: "(The two bellmen) saw the accused leaning forward into the open front passenger window, thrusting his hand forward and pulling Raja by the collar of his shirt. (The bellmen) then quickly intervened and separated the parties."
Mr Rajadorai alerted the police before going to Alexandra Hospital where he was found with injuries including a strained neck.
Alvee has since made $110 in compensation to him for his medical fees.
Defence lawyer S. S. Dhillon told the court in his mitigation plea that his client's offence was due to a "knee jerk reaction and a momentary lapse of judgement".
The lawyer from Dhillon & Panoo added: "Our client wished he had exercised extreme prudence and reign in his temper and not acted hastily."
For voluntarily causing hurt, an offender can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $5,000.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#74

Grab temp staff fined S$5,000 for pocketing branded watch found by driver

By LOUISA TANG
Published JULY 22, 2021

• Kaushalia Kathiravan, 26, took a Cartier Tank Francaise watch valued at S$5,150 from Grab’s found property office.

SINGAPORE — A 26-year-old woman who temporarily worked for ride-hailing firm Grab was fined S$5,000 on Wednesday (July 21) for misappropriating a Cartier watch worth about that amount.

Kaushalia Kathiravan was meant to repack lost-and-found property handed in to the Grab office. Instead, she pocketed the timepiece and lied that she could not find it.

The Singaporean pleaded guilty in a district court to one count of criminal breach of trust. She has since made full restitution.

The court heard that on July 1, 2019, Grab driver Tan King Way found a Cartier Tank Francaise watch valued at $5,150 in his vehicle.

The watch was in a pouch, which was placed in a paper bag bearing the Cartier logo. Mr Tan reported the loss and handed it over to the Grab found property office, located at 28 Sin Ming Lane.

On Aug 6 that year, Kaushalia and Ms Charmaine Ang, then a partner experience associate at Grab, were assigned to manage the office.

In particular, they were tasked to go through and repack any found items that had been left unclaimed for more than a month.

The pair were sorting through items on a table when Kaushalia noticed the Cartier paper bag. She then took the watch, placing the pouch back into the bag without Ms Ang noticing.


A few minutes later, at about 5.08pm, she told the other woman that there was no Cartier watch in the pouch despite Grab’s found records indicating otherwise.

Ms Ang did not suspect anything was amiss and proceeded to amend Grab’s records to indicate that the watch had not been found.

Kaushalia’s offence only came to light the next month, after some other Grab employees went through the office’s closed-circuit television footage in an attempt to find missing cash previously stored there.

The firm’s public liaison officer then lodged a police report over the missing watch on Sept 6, 2019.

For criminal breach of trust, Kaushalia could have been jailed for up to seven years or fined, or received both punishments.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#75

Man allegedly cheated companies of over $4m, conspired to dupe them of another $400k​

Dominic Low

July 22, 2021

SINGAPORE - A 46-year-old man allegedly duped two companies into paying a total of more than $4 million to two other firms - one of which he was a partner.
Hussain Naina Mohamed is also accused of conspiring with the director of a fifth company to trick the victim companies into paying more than $400,000 to it.
Hussain and the director, 66-year-old Eldo Thottungal Mathai, were each charged with six counts of conspiring to cheat on Thursday (July 22). Both men are Indian nationals and Singapore permanent residents.
Hussain faces another 20 charges - 18 of cheating and two of money laundering.
He was an assistant shipping manager of engineering firm Utracon Structural Systems at the time of the alleged offences between June 24, 2009 and Jan 2, 2019.
Hussain allegedly concealed that he was the registered partner of Al Rahman Enterprises and Trading, when recommending to Utracon Structural Systems and another related firm, Utracon Overseas, that freight-forwarding and marine insurance jobs be awarded to his company.

He is said to have concealed that his father was the sole proprietor of another company, SM Enterprises, when recommending that Utracon purchase plastic components from it.
His alleged actions resulted in the victim companies paying approximately a total of $4.3 million over the years to Al Rahman and SM Enterprises, according to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau.
An online search shows that both Al Rahman and SM Enterprises have ceased business operations.
Hussain and Eldo are also said to have conspired to dupe the victim companies into paying about $417,000 to ship charter company Indus Global Line between Oct 14, 2011 and April 5, 2018. Eldo was the director of Indus Global Line at that time.
They allegedly concealed that a portion of the price stated in job quotations submitted by Indus Global Line would be paid to Hussain, if the company was successfully awarded the jobs.
Hussain is accused of remitting about $142,000 of his alleged ill-gotten gains to India between May 2014 and November 2017.
He also purportedly used $125,000 of his alleged criminal proceeds for the purchase of a Housing Board flat on May 22, 2018.
Eldo's case will be next heard on Aug 19, while Hussain is expected to plead guilty to his offences on Sept 16.
For each cheating offence they are convicted of, they can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined.
Hussain can also be jailed for up to seven years, fined up to $500,000, or both, for each offence of money laundering if he is guilty.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#76

Man gets jail for negligently throwing cigarette butt inside police headquarters, sparking fire​

Screengrab from Google Street View of Ang Mo Kio Division Headquarters.
By Lydia Lam@LydiaLamCNA
22 Jul 2021

SINGAPORE: An air-conditioner repairman was sentenced to 10 days' jail on Thursday (Jul 22) for negligently causing a fire at a police divisional headquarters by throwing a cigarette butt into a rubbish-filled area.

The fire damaged the wall, ceiling, flooring and air-conditioning fittings, costing more than S$5310 to repair.

Indian national Ganesan Shanmugam, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of negligently causing a fire by throwing a cigarette butt that was not extinguished.
The court heard that Shanmugam was assigned to perform night shift maintenance work at Ang Mo Kio Police Division Headquarters with a colleague.
While he was at the ground level beside the main switch room, he felt an urge to smoke. It was not convenient for him to head outside to smoke, as it was raining heavily, so he decided to smoke outside the main switch room, said the prosecutor.
At about 11.45pm, he finished smoking and threw the cigarette butt into a nearby area that was littered with rubbish including discarded cardboard boxes.

He thought the cigarette butt had been extinguished and did not check if it was.
Shanmugam went with his colleague to rest at a nearby storeroom but about 20 minutes later, his colleague realised there was a fire nearby.
They returned to the area where Shanmugam had been smoking and saw the flames. The pair took fire extinguishers and put the fire out before cleaning the area.
A police officer on duty smelt something burning, and both police and firefighters soon arrived at the location. The cause of the fire was traced to Shanmugam, who did not dispute that he threw the cigarette butt.

As a result of the fire, the wall, ceiling, floor and air-conditioning fittings were damaged. It cost S$5313.17 to repair the damage, which was borne by company ST Synthesis, a services arm of ST Engineering.
The prosecutor sought two to three weeks' jail, noting Shanmugam's remorse.
Shanmugam, who had no lawyer and appeared visibly nervous, told the judge that his monthly salary was only S$800 and that he was unsure if he could afford any fine.
He said he suffered from neck pain due to having to continually look up to repair air-conditioning systems and said he had undergone a lot of stress due to the incident.
He said through an interpreter that it might be better for him to return home and that he did not intentionally cause the fire, but did so through a negligent act that he acknowledged and was remorseful about.
The judge granted his request to defer the jail term, which Shanmugam will begin serving on Monday.
For negligently causing fire, he could have been jailed up to 18 months and fined.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#77

Stateless man jailed 5 weeks for hurling racist remarks at cashier, choking a nurse

By LOUISA TANG
Published JULY 27, 2021

Ili Nadhirah Mansor/TODAY

• Periyanayagam Appavoo arrives at the State Courts on July 27, 2021. He was jailed 5 weeks for hurling racist remarks at an NTUC FairPrice supermarket cashier and a nurse, and choking another nurse.
• Periyanayagam Appavoo first verbally abused an NTUC Fairprice cashier and threatened to beat her up
• Two months later, he scolded vulgar words at a hospital nurse and insisted on being treated by a doctor of the same ethnicity as him
• He also choked another nurse who was attending to another patient

SINGAPORE — While being investigated for verbally abusing a cashier with racist comments related to Covid-19, Periyanayagam Appavoo hurled similar remarks at a Sengkang General Hospital (SKH) nurse.

He also choked another nurse who was attending to a patient before security officers had to restrain him to a trolley bed.

The 52-year-old stateless man was sentenced to five weeks’ jail on Tuesday (July 27), after pleading guilty to two harassment charges and one of using criminal force.

His past string of offences date back to 1988 when he was sentenced to probation for stealing a motor vehicle and include drug consumption and snatch theft.

He was most recently jailed in 2019 for crimes such as harassing a public servant, theft and voluntarily causing hurt.

The court heard that during his latest brush with the law, Periyanayagam went to the NTUC FairPrice supermarket outlet at Rivervale Plaza in Sengkang on April 23 last year, during the circuit breaker period.

When a cashier noticed him trying to enter the supermarket from the exit, she stopped him and told him to go to the entrance.

He left but returned shortly afterwards and scolded the Singaporean employee with a vulgar phrase.

He also shouted at her: “You Chinese people bring Covid into Singapore” and then threatened to beat her up.

When police officers interviewed Periyanayagam, he claimed he had been drinking before the incident.

While being investigated for the supermarket incident, he reoffended on June 23.

He went to the accident and emergency department of SKH to seek treatment for double vision.

He behaved in an agitated manner at the triage area and threw his registration form to the ground.

When a nurse tried to take his vital signs, he shouted at her and turned verbally abusive.

While pointing his finger at her, he shouted: “You are a Chinese, Chinese people are stupid. I want an Indian doctor, the same Indian doctor who attended to me previously.”

Security officers stepped in and took him to a trolley bed nearby. When the nurse walked away, he shouted another vulgarity at her.

A doctor of Indian ethnicity then attended to him but he complained that she was “too fair” and refused to be examined by her, the court further heard.

He then got up from the bed, walked up to a senior staff nurse who was looking after another patient, and used his hand to choke the nurse. The nurse managed to push him away and security officers stepped in to restrain him.

For using criminal force, Periyanayagam could have been jailed for up to three months or fined up to S$1,500, or both.

For using threatening, abusive and insulting words, he could have been jailed for up to a year or fined up to S$10,000, or both. Those convicted of harassing a public service worker can receive twice that jail term.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#78

Work pass holders get jail for submitting false degree qualifications

Manav Bharti University campus. (Photo: Facebook / Manav Bharti University)

By Chew Hui Min

27 Jul 2021


SINGAPORE: Two Indian nationals have been jailed for submitting false qualifications to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in their work pass applications, the ministry said on Tuesday (Jul 27).

Bailwal Sunil Dutt was sentenced to one week's jail while Sutradhar Bijoy got a sentence of four weeks on Tuesday.

Their work passes have been revoked and they are now permanently barred from working in Singapore, said MOM.

In addition, MOM has charged one other work pass holder, Bhandare Raghavendra, also an Indian national, for the same offence.

From February, MOM conducted investigations into 23 foreigners who had declared qualifications from Manav Bharti University (MBU) in their work pass applications.

MOM said that among the remaining individuals, 19 will be permanently barred from future employment in Singapore while further investigation is ongoing for one person.

The probe in Singapore began after MOM was alerted that the Indian Government was investigating MBU for selling fake degrees. MBU is an accredited institution that was set up by the Indian Government in 2009 and had issued genuine degrees, said MOM.

The two who were convicted were employed as a cook and an assistant warehouse manager in Singapore.

THE TWO CONVICTED

Dutt applied for an S Pass in December 2020 to be employed by the restaurant Al Capone’s as a cook. In his application, he stated that he had a bachelor’s degree in arts from MBU.

Bijoy made a similar declaration in his application in 2015 for an S Pass to be employed by Lye M S Trading as an assistant warehouse manager.

According to court documents, Dutt was initially enrolled in Hemwati Nandan Bhaguna University in 2010 but dropped out due to financial difficulties.

Later, an acquaintance who was said to be a staff member in MBU told him that he could obtain a degree qualification from MBU by simply paying a certain sum of money without needing to attend classes.

Between 2011 and 2013, he paid 3,000 rupees (about S$55) every six months to the acquaintance who would pay MBU on Dutt’s behalf. He was given a degree certificate sometime in 2013, accompanied by various academic transcripts.

Bijoy was told that if he wanted a higher salary in Singapore, he would need a degree qualification. Through an agent, he obtained a forged MBU degree certificate for 40,000 rupees (about S$730).

Sometime in late 2014, Bijoy received a degree certificate dated Sep 28, 2008 along with academic transcripts showing that he had attended MBU between 2006 and 2008.

He then applied for the job in Singapore with the fake qualifications. Late last year, he made the false declaration again in a renewal application for his job as an assistant warehouse manager.

He was paid monthly salaries of between S$2,600 and S$3,000 while working in Singapore.

8 FOREIGNERS PROSECUTED A YEAR

MOM said it will continue to take firm measures to safeguard the integrity of the work pass framework.

False declarations of any sort is an offence under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act. The offence carries a fine of up to S$20,000, up to two years’ imprisonment, or both.

Offenders will also have their work passes revoked and be permanently barred from employment in Singapore.

In the last five years, MOM detected and permanently barred an average of 660 foreigners per year from employment in Singapore for submitting fake education qualifications in their work pass applications. Over the same period, an average of eight foreigners per year were prosecuted for such offences.

MOM said that employers have the primary responsibility to ensure the authenticity and quality of the academic qualifications of the candidates they wish to hire.

"While the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) conducts risk-based checks on qualifications submitted for work pass applications, it is difficult to detect institutions such as Manav Bharti University which are approved by the foreign government’s authorities and issuing genuine degrees while selling fakes," a spokesperson said.

"Nevertheless, MOM regularly reviews and strengthens measures to maintain the integrity of our work pass framework. Firm action will be taken against individuals who attempt to circumvent the system."

As an additional safeguard, MOM also screens qualifications submitted in support of work pass applications through a database of institutions.

People submitting work pass applications that are of a higher risk, such as those supported by qualifications from institutions not found in the database or are picked up by data analytics, are required to provide verification proof from a third-party screening organisation.

When MOM detects a false qualification, it rejects the application and permanently bars the foreigner from employment in Singapore.

MOM said it is reviewing its list of approved verification service providers and the need for more employers to submit verification proof of qualifications in support of work pass applications.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#79

Jail for worker who injured another while driving forklift, then submitted fake training certificate​

Dominic Low

Jul 28, 2021

SINGAPORE - A 35-year-old worker drove a forklift at a high speed, causing an accident and seriously injuring another man.
It turned out that Mamun AL was not trained in operating a forklift. After the accident, he submitted a forged certificate stating that he was qualified to do so.
The Bangladeshi national was jailed for 45 weeks after pleading guilty to one count each of recklessly doing an act which endangered the safety of others, and of using a forged certificate. He was sentenced on Wednesday (July 28).
Mamun was employed by QFC Construction when the accident occurred on Jan 18, 2018.
The company was then carrying out addition and alteration works to a building at 11 Tuas Avenue 10. Mamun was appointed as a safety supervisor at the worksite.
The victim, Mr Chia Kok Kheong, had driven a lorry with sanitary materials to the worksite. He was employed by another company as a delivery driver.

Intending to unload the materials on the lorry, Mamun raised the mast of the forklift he was operating and drove towards the lorry's right side, where Mr Chia was standing.
But the worker could not see the victim because of the forklift's raised mast.
And he was unable to stop in time when he eventually spotted Mr Chia as he was driving too fast.
The forklift hit Mr Chia and pinned him against the lorry's side.
The court head that the victim suffered multiple injuries, including fractures to his ribs and pelvis.
Investigations revealed that Mamun had not attended any training to operate a forklift. He had instead obtained a forged certificate, stating that he had undergone such training by a company named Quality Safe Academicin November 2017.
Mamun submitted the forged certificate to his employer after the company received a request for his training records from the officer investigating the accident.
During an interview with the investigating officer on April 11, 2018, he initially maintained that he had legitimately obtained the document.
But he later admitted to buying the forged certificate after he was told that Quality Safe Academic had confirmed it had never conducted such training.
For a reckless act which endangered the safety of others, Mamun could have been jailed for up to two years, or fined up to $200,000, or both.
He could also have been jailed for up to six months, or fined up to $5,000, or both, for using a forged certificate.

 

[batman1]

Enough of Ah Neh.
Fark PAP for bringing so many Ah Nehs into Red Dot.

 

[laksaboy]

LOL, forklift certificate also need to fake.

 

[laksaboy]

Enough of Ah Neh.
Fark PAP for bringing so many Ah Nehs into Red Dot.

The pappies are very fond of attaining short-term benefits with zero foresight. Same modus operandi in many things, it's not just CECA.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#80

Local media try to cover up by reporting her as "Singaporean" while India media reported her as "Indian origin".

Unlicensed travel agent in S’pore jailed for pocketing S$35,000 from customers for trips to India, Dubai

By LOUISA TANG
Published AUGUST 10, 2021

Ili Mansor
S Leelavadi (pictured) lied to her customers that her mother was hospitalised or in the intensive care unit, so that they would postpone the trip or accept a refund. Photo taken on June 17, 2021.

• S Leelavadi promised customers she could book trips to India and Dubai for them
• One group handed over $15,000, while an elderly woman paid S$2,400
• When the trips were about to begin, she would ask them to postpone or cancel, or simply not show up
• She has paid full restitution to the victims

SINGAPORE — A 55-year-old woman was sentenced to 20 weeks’ jail on Tuesday (Aug 10) for misappropriating almost S$35,000 from customers who had paid her for tour packages that never materialised.

S Leelavadi, who worked as a freelance travel agent for over a decade, did not have the requisite licence to do so.

She cheated at least eight victims over 19 fake trips to India and the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, including an 82-year-old woman, and used the money for her personal expenses.

The Singaporean pleaded guilty earlier this year to one criminal breach of trust charge and two counts of practising as a travel agent without a licence from the Singapore Tourism Board.

Seven other similar charges were taken into consideration for sentencing.

Leelavadi will not begin serving her sentence immediately as she intends to file an appeal.

The court heard that she began working as a freelance travel agent sometime in 2000, only stopping for a few months in 2004 when she joined a licensed travel agency.


When she struck out on her own, she told customers that she could book tours for them to India and Dubai. She advised them on how to travel there, where to stay and their itinerary, and gave them a quotation for their desired tour.

They would then pay her a S$500 deposit which she said was necessary to make the relevant bookings. She directed them to make payments in cash or through a bank transfer to her mother’s bank account.

In the months before the departure date, she would chase them for the balance payments while sending them itineraries and advising them on various aspects of their trips, such as insurance, currency exchange and local tours.

Whenever the date of departure drew close or had passed and the trips did not materialise, she would lie to the customers that her mother was hospitalised or in the intensive care unit, so that they would postpone the trip or accept a refund.

When customers pressed her for the plane tickets so they could go on their own, she would say she could not provide them.

She ended up pocketing S$34,950 from eight victims between 2013 and 2017.

ONE GROUP PAID MORE THAN S$15,000

One such victim, Madam Muniyandi Karuppayee, was 82 years old at the time and lived in a rental flat.

When they met at an Indian sari shop in 2017, Leelavadi offered to arrange a tour to Kasi, India for her for S$2,400.

The shop owner advised Mdm Karuppayee not to go due to her health issues, but Leelavadi told him not to worry and reassured him that she would take care of the elderly woman.

After Mdm Karuppayee paid her a deposit of S$1,000, Leelavadi kept chasing the shop owner to ask the older woman for the balance payment of S$1,400.

The shop owner then transferred the money on Mdm Karuppayee’s behalf to Leelavadi’s mother’s account.

On the planned date of the trip, Mdm Karuppayee packed her luggage and waited for Leelavadi to give her a lift to the airport. Leelavadi did not turn up and did not pick up the shop owner’s calls.

Two days later, she called back and claimed her mother had been hospitalised. She was unable to show any proof that she had even booked flight tickets for the trip.

That same year, Leelavadi also offered to arrange a seven-day tour to Dubai for eight people. The group paid her a total of S$15,450.

The day before the trip, she asked them to postpone it, saying her mother had suffered a sudden heart attack that morning. She separately told one of them that the trip had to be cancelled as she was required to attend a court hearing soon.

As of mid-last year, Leelavadi had made full restitution to her victims.

For criminal breach of trust, she could have been jailed for up to seven years or fined, or both.

For working as an unlicensed travel agent, she could have been jailed for up to two years or fined up to S$10,000, or both.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#81

South Asian Couple Throw Garbage Bags Into Our Canal?!​

farhan August 11, 2021

In a video uploaded onto vimeo, a couple of South Asian origin can be seen standing sheepishly along the canal, with the man holding a filled garbage bag. With the woman on the lookout, the man tossed the garbage bag he was holding into the canal.
There was already another garbage bag floating in the canal. This seemed to be their second one.

What were in the garbage bags?! Why couldn’t they throw them into a garbage bin or a rubbish chute? Did they think that this canal is like Ganges river where they throw dead bodies back in India?!
This is what happens when we bring in too many people from one place. They bring in their culture and practices without second thoughts for our local laws. Will they soon start throwing bodies there too?!