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Jun 28, 2011
Alleged robber ordered to pay $619,000 hotel bill
By K. C. Vijayan & Elizabeth Soh
ALLEGED hotel robber Octavius Tok Tien Howe was ordered by the High Court yesterday to pay a $619,000 bill for a 23-day stay at Marina Bay Sands this year.
He had incurred the expenses between March and April 9 - about five days before the alleged armed robbery at the hotel.
Tok, 37, did not contest the civil suit at the hearing before Assistant Registrar Nathaniel Khng, despite having been previously notified.
He is in remand in Changi Prison pending a criminal trial for allegedly robbing an MBS hotel guest of $450,000 on April 14 with an accomplice. They were allegedly armed with a 25cm knife each.
Yesterday's ruling paves the way for MBS to recover the money from whatever assets he may own here, including inquiring into any bank accounts in his name.
In April, MBS' lawyers S. Suressh and Toh Wei Yi from Harry Elias Partnership had obtained a High Court order freezing Tok's assets, which prohibited him from disposing of any, pending the outcome of the civil suit.
Read the full story in Tuesday's edition of The Straits Times.
