Disgruntled ex-employee cut fibre optic cables

[youallhumsup]

Disgruntled ex-employee cut fibre optic cables
By Shaffiq Alkhatib, TODAY | Posted: 09 August 2011 0737 hrs

SINGAPORE: In what is believed to be the first such case here, a disgruntled former SingTel associate engineer has pleaded guilty to mischief for cutting its fibre optic cables after his employment was terminated.

Terrance Tan Khoon Shan's actions resulted in thousands of households being unable to connect to the Internet, receive television broadcasts and make telephone calls.

The 34-year-old pleaded guilty on Monday to 60 charges of mischief which caused more than $S185,000 worth of damage.

The district court heard that Tan joined SingTel in August 2009 to work in the "Fibre to the Home" project, an initiative aimed at providing ultra-high speed Internet connections to end users. His employment was, however, terminated last September.

Tan then plotted to sabotage his supervisors by damaging equipment known as "Fibre Splicing Boxes".

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sanjiv Vaswani said the boxes are located at HDB blocks and the cables are found in them. The boxes are secured with a locking mechanism and the keys are usually left on top of the boxes for contractors.

Tan found a set of keys in Clementi and discovered that the keys could operate the locking mechanism of similar boxes.

The DPP pressed for a "substantial custodial sentence" of three years. In mitigation, Tan, who was unrepresented, told the court that he had "succumbed to emotions" after he left SingTel. He added he "has nothing against SingTel".

Tan will be back in court on August 23. - TODAY

 

[Terry Bogard]

Former engineer jailed for fibre optic cable sabotage
By Claire Huang, Sara Grosse | Posted: 02 April 2012 1312 hrs

SINGAPORE: A former SingTel engineer has been sentenced to 15 months' jail for taking revenge on his supervisors.

Thirty-five-year-old Terrance Tan Khoon Shan was convicted of cutting fibre optic cables belonging to OpenNet, in various areas including Clementi, Ang Mo Kio and Toa Payoh, on more than 600 occasions between March and May 2011.

OpenNet is a consortium of four companies -- Axis NetMedia, SingTel, Singapore Press Holdings and Singapore Power Telecommunications -- that builds Singapore's ultra-fast fibre broadband network.

SingTel is engaged by OpenNet to lay the optic cables at HDB flats islandwide.

Tan faced a total of 617 charges but the court proceeded on 60.

The court heard that Tan's misdemeanour stemmed from his dissatisfaction after he was terminated by telco SingTel.

Tan joined SingTel as an engineer in August 2009 and was terminated a year later on September 2010.

Unhappy with his supervisors, Tan decided to sabotage them by damaging the cables.

Tan's lawyer had argued that his client was suffering from mental problems but the district judge disagreed.

She ruled that Tan did not have a mental disorder and that "he was fully aware what he did was wrong, but he was overcome by his motive to seek revenge".

In mitigation, the defence lawyer pointed out that Tan is a first offender and that he has a clean record prior to this.

The lawyer argued that his client did not have designs to commit the offences, and asserted that the opportunities presented themselves to Tan.

In response, the judge asked if the defence is saying the opportunities presented themselves 617 times.

The defence lawyer also asked the court to consider probation but the prosecution objected to this as the offences committed were grave and in Tan's case, unsuitable for probation.

The district judge agreed with the prosecution, calling Tan's crimes "senseless acts" which caused much inconvenience to residents who relied on the optic cables and ultimately led to a waste of time and money.

The judge stressed that Tan's unhappiness with his supervisor was "not excusable".

She sentenced Tan to three months' jail on each of the 60 charges, with five to run consecutively, making for a total of 15 months' imprisonment.

Tan could have faced up to three years' jail and a maximum fine of $10,000 for each charge considered.

- CNA/wm