American man backside itchy go & engage M Ravi as his lawyer

[Ilovelamb]

He should engage the sikh lawyer instead


American businessman faces caning after overstaying in S'pore
By Ng Jing Yng | Posted: 21 October 2010 1854 hrs



SINGAPORE : An American businessman is facing the prospect of being caned in Singapore after overstaying his visa by almost half a year, his lawyer said on Thursday.

Currently in remand, Kamari Kenyada Charlton, 37, had allegedly overstayed for 169 days after his three-month social visit pass expired.

His lawyer, Mr M Ravi, said Charlton was not aware of the overstaying rules here and was arrested on September 1 at Changi Airport when he was trying to return to the Bahamas where he lives.

Mr Ravi said that he will be taking up this case pro bono and will be arguing on the grounds of discrimination.

He cited a previous case earlier this year where a Croatian, who had overstayed 25 days more than Charlton, was allowed to compound the offence with a S$500 fine.

Mr Ravi's request to the Attorney-General's Chambers to compound Charlton's case had been rejected.

Charlton came to Singapore on 15 December 2009 to accompany his wife, who had come to the city-state to seek medical treatment for her pregnancy.

Charlton could face three strokes of the cane if he is convicted for overstaying in Singapore.

He could also be jailed up to six months.

The US Embassy told Channel NewsAsia it is closely monitoring the case. It said embassy officials have provided consular assistance to Charlton, including six visits by Consular officers.

A pre-trial conference will be held on Friday.

Charlton could be the next US citizen, after Michael Fay, to be caned if convicted of overstaying.

Fay was given four strokes of the cane in 1994 for vandalism. - CNA/AFP/ls

 

[cleareyes]

This is called....ignorance and lack of research.

 

[silverfox@]

This is called....ignorance and lack of research.

If i go to US and overstay, can I cite that i was not aware of the overstay law to get myself off the hook? Will my lawyer argue for me based on grounds of discrimination.

He cite the Croatian's case that he overstayed longer by 25 days and can compound the fine. So that means the Croatian was sentenced too lightly. Next time sentence must be harsher. Starting from this American and then use his case as a benchmark ruling:o


M Ravi doing pro bono. Another Subhas ???? Gaining exposure I guess

 

[Kid278]

It's pro bono, how often do you see legal counsel doing or rather willing to do that? Knock some sense before commenting.

 

[silverfox@]

It's pro bono, how often do you see legal counsel doing or rather willing to do that? Knock some sense before commenting.

Please go and find out the meaning of pro bono before commenting.

This guy is a businessman not a poor man. There are lawyers who do pro bono to gain exposure so more people will look for them. You think really genuinely for public good?

 

[moolightaffairs]

i think M Ravi is cheaper and willing to take up the case and i doubt any other law firm willing to take this case.

 

[Kid278]

Please go and find out the meaning of pro bono before commenting.

This guy is a businessman not a poor man. There are lawyers who do pro bono to gain exposure so more people will look for them. You think really genuinely for public good?

Dont try to be a smart ass and be too quick to judge. My question is how often do you see legal counsel does that?

 

[Queen Seok Duk]

i think M Ravi is cheaper and willing to take up the case and i doubt any other law firm willing to take this case.

This is not a political case, so there is no reason why other lawyers wouldn't want to take up this case, as long as the defendant could afford.

Being a foreigner, the defendant's knowledge of lawyers may be limited. Ravi may be the only lawyer that the defendant has heard of, thanks to the numerous pro bono cases that he has been doing, especially those involving SDP and death sentence cases.

Now you know why lawyers all rush to do pro bono cases. It's free advertisement.

 

[Kid278]

Now you know why lawyers all rush to do pro bono cases. It's free advertisement.

No challenge on the publicity stance but I wouldnt say lawyers rushing, you dont see that very often.

 

[myo539]

Now you know why lawyers all rush to do pro bono cases. It's free advertisement.

Peasants like me do not know what it means in Latin,
but in Hokkien it is Mm chye si; alternatively ka chng chiew

 

[ivebert]

Now you know why lawyers all rush to do pro bono cases. It's free advertisement.

You fucking Ex-Convict :oIo:

What do you know about the law and lawyers? :oIo:

Your broke the law, got canned, jailed, warned and left Singapore for Thailand. :oIo:

What you know is how to be a katoey and surviving in the prostitution business. :oIo:

 

[silverfox@]

Dont try to be a smart ass and be too quick to judge. My question is how often do you see legal counsel does that?

A person without criminal record doesn't mean he will not commit crimes.

So your question on how often do you see a legal counsel doing pro bono doesn't mean he is not doing it for free advertisement.

If you think I am quick to judge, aren't you quicker in defending M Ravi?

 

[Ilovelamb]

SINGAPORE - An American businessman is facing the prospect of being caned in Singapore after overstaying his visa by almost half a year, court documents and his lawyer said Thursday.

If convicted for violating Singapore's immigration laws, US citizen Kamari Kenyada Charlton, 37, could become the first American in 16 years to be caned.

Kamari, who was born in the Bahamas, was arrested at Changi Airport on September 1 when he was about to leave the country, his lawyer M. Ravi said.


A charge sheet issued against him seen by AFP said Kamari had remained in Singapore for an extra 169 days after his three-month social visit pass expired on March 15, 2010.

"Without reasonable cause, you did remain in Singapore for 169 days after the expiry of the social visit pass... and you have thereby committed an offence," it said.

Under Singapore laws, overstaying for more than 90 days is punishable by a jail term not exceeding six months and a minimum three strokes of the cane.

The punishment entails being struck on the back of the thigh below the buttocks, which can split the skin and leave lasting scars.

Kamari, who runs a construction business in the Bahamas, is currently on remand in a local prison, Ravi said.

He had entered Singapore on December 15 last year to accompany his wife, who had come to the city-state seeking medical treatment for her pregnancy.

Ravi had appealed for a commutation of the American's potential sentence to a fine, citing the case of a relative of Kamari's wife who was handed down a fine of 500 Singapore dollars (384 US) for exceeding his visa by 194 days.

But in a written response to Ravi, the Attorney General's Chambers rejected the appeal "after having carefully considered your representations".

"What we are asking here is why is there such differential treatment especially considering the fact that he had overstayed longer than our client," Ravi said.

The case has caught the attention of US officials.

"The US Embassy is closely monitoring the case and embassy officials have provided consular assistance to this individual, including six visits by consular officials," a spokeswoman for the mission told AFP.

If caned Kamari would be the first American to undergo the punishment in Singapore since the widely-publicised case of Michael Fay, an American teenager who was given four strokes of the cane in 1994 for vandalism.

 

[silverfox@]

Mr Ravi said that he will be taking up this case pro bono and will be arguing on the grounds of discrimination.

He cited a previous case earlier this year where a Croatian, who had overstayed 25 days more than Charlton, was allowed to compound the offence with a S$500 fine.

Ravi had appealed for a commutation of the American's potential sentence to a fine, citing the case of a relative of Kamari's wife who was handed down a fine of 500 Singapore dollars (384 US) for exceeding his visa by 194 days.

So the one who exceeded by 25 days more than this American is actually his wife's relative. What a coincidence that M Ravi can quote this case and the American actually said he was not aware of the overstaying rules, and happened to know everything after they realised the extent of the offence.

 

[Ilovelamb]

So the one who exceeded by 25 days more than this American is actually his wife's relative. What a coincidence that M Ravi can quote this case and the American actually said he was not aware of the overstaying rules, and happened to know everything after they realised the extent of the offence.

There are many over stayer were jailed and canned, wouldn't it be more unfair if the american were to spare? I believe M Ravi may stir and politicize this event to get international media attention like Micheal Faye and get the world angry with us:oIo:

 

[silliporean]

There are many over stayer were jailed and canned, wouldn't it be more unfair if the american were to spare? I believe M Ravi may stir and politicize this event to get international media attention like Micheal Faye and get the world angry with us:oIo:

I agree with you that Mr. Ravi is just whoring for attention but he is a smart man. If I am a lawyer i will do that to get more business too, business is business lawyer or no lawyer.

If the world don't like us because of what Mr. Ravi is doing for his client (which he has the full rights to) than I tell the world don't come here.

If a country sets a law and does not carry it out than nobody will respect that country.

 

[Ilovelamb]

I agree with you that Mr. Ravi is just whoring for attention but he is a smart man. If I am a lawyer i will do that to get more business too, business is business lawyer or no lawyer.

If the world don't like us because of what Mr. Ravi is doing for his client (which he has the full rights to) than I tell the world don't come here.

If a country sets a law and does not carry it out than nobody will respect that country.

Very soon he will organize spare 'kar chng' from the rod event at Hong Lim to get more attention.

 

[Queen Seok Duk]

No challenge on the publicity stance but I wouldnt say lawyers rushing, you dont see that very often.

It's not apparent because such cases are being referred to the Criminal Legal Aid Board (capital offence cases) and to a certain extent, monopolized. Now guess who runs the Criminal Legal Aid Board ?

You can rest assured that lawyers crave capital offence cases. You will get free advertisements on MSM. People often have the misconception that if you appear on TV often you must be famous; and famous, good. This, despite your track record where most of your clients have ended up being hanged.

 

[silverfox@]

You can rest assured that lawyers crave capital offence cases. You will get free advertisements on MSM. People often have the misconception that if you appear on TV often you must be famous; and famous, good. This, despite your track record where most of your clients have ended up being hanged.

Such lawyers have nothing to lose and they earn a reputation of taking up cases where not many want to. For cases where murder or drug trafficking is committed, the onus is on their lawyer to lift them off the hook or even plead for a light sentence. If rape, murder, trafficking is really committed and the lawyer can get the accused acquitted, just 1 time only and his name will go far among the criminal circle.

So there are few kinds of lawyer. Some fight for justice, some fight for money, some fight for name.

 

[silverfox@]

I agree with you that Mr. Ravi is just whoring for attention but he is a smart man. If I am a lawyer i will do that to get more business too, business is business lawyer or no lawyer.

If the world don't like us because of what Mr. Ravi is doing for his client (which he has the full rights to) than I tell the world don't come here.

If a country sets a law and does not carry it out than nobody will respect that country.

Sometimes I find it funny when people question that the punishments are too harsh. If they think the punishments are harsh, why commit that crime?