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[Diao Chan]

Kiwi jailed for hurting cops


Sep 29, 2010
Kiwi jailed for hurting cops

By Elena Chong, Court Correspondent

A NEW Zealander who assaulted two airport police officers was jailed for four weeks on Wednesday. Gavin Richard Brooks, 38, was also fined $2,000 for hurling expletives at one of the cops at Changi Airport on May 1. Brooks, who paid the fine, had four other charges considered during his sentencing. A district court heard that the property agent and his male partner were on board a Singapore Airlines flight on their way to Beijing for a once-in-a-lifetime Trans-Siberian holiday. The dream holiday never happened. En route from Auckland to Singapore, Brooks started kicking at his seat.

Later on, when he was refused a drink, he became angry and abused the chief steward. Brooks was given a warning letter. He calmed down after being served wine diluted with water. He was later found smoking in the toilet. On arrival at Changi Airport, when he was being interviewed by the Airport Police, he blamed the cabin crew for the incident and repeatedly used expletives. He then walked away and ignored Senior Station Inspector Syed Abdul Rahim Syed Mansor's order to stay.

Brooks abused the 38-year-old and other officers, challenging them to shoot him. As SSI Abdul Rahim was placing him under arrest, Brooks suddenly swung his bag towards the officer. Brooks was handcuffed and suffered a cut on his forehead. While he was being escorted out of the Terminal, he began to struggle and hurled vulgarities at the escorting officers. During the struggle, he kicked Staff Sergeant Muhammad Ruzaiman Abdul Rahman, 32, on the left shin and scratched his right elbow.

 

[Diao Chan]

Forest raids nab 78


Sep 29, 2010
Forest raids nab 78

By Amanda Lee

POLICE rounded up 78 people of various nationalities in raids on the forested areas along Canberra Road, Canberra Link and Sembawang Drive on Tuesday. The suspects are believed to have used the cover of the forest for various illicit activities such as vice and gambling.

At 10.20pm on Tuesday, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division, Criminal Investigation Department, Gurkha Contingent and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, raided the forested areas.

They arrested 55 men and 23 women of Thai, PRC, Indian, Bangladeshi, Malaysian and Singaporean nationalities for wilful trespass on state land. If found guilty, the suspects face a fine of up to $1,000 and work permit holders may also have their work permits cancelled.
Investigations are ongoing.

 

[Ranmaru Mori]

British chef fined for hurting cop


Sep 30, 2010
British chef fined for hurting cop

By Elena Chong

Wayne Adam Smith, 36, was fined a total of $3,000 and ordered to pay $90 compensation to his victim. -- ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

A BRITISH chef was fined a total of $3,000 on Thursday for causing hurt to an auxiliary police constable on duty during the Singapore F1 race and disobeying a police officer's direction. Wayne Adam Smith was also ordered by District Judge May Mesenas to pay $90 compensation to the victim, Certis Cisco constable Vickneswaran Sellaban, 19, who injured his left knee. The 36-year-old, who works for Freeman's Hospitality providing hospitality services at the paddock for F1 management, was driving his car to his job site when officers stopped him at the side road of Ophir Road even though he had a car label. He moved to the side to await clearance, but decided to drive through the security checkpoint.

His car knocked onto the victim who had repeatedly tapped on his car bonnet and ordered him to stop. Smith apologised for the misunderstanding, saying it was not his intention to cause hurt or injury to any person. He told the court that he had been using the same pass to enter that route from Thursday to Saturday without any problems. He could have been jailed for up to six months and/or fined up to $2,500 for causing hurt by doing a negligent act. For disobeying a cop's orders, he could have been fined up to $1,000 or jailed for up to three months.

 

[Mitsuhide Akechi]

Jailed for helping mum to cheat


Oct 1, 2010
Jailed for helping mum to cheat

By Elena Chong

A MALAYSIAN car repossessor was jailed for three months on Friday for abetting his mother to cheat a dealer at the Resorts World Sentosa (RWS). Toh Yee Foo, 33, who had initially claimed trial, changed his plea to guilty after a 1 1/2-day hearing. At the hearing, a closed-circuit television footage of the incident was shown in court.

Toh had intentionally aided his mother, Madam Chee Cheng Choi, to cheat the casino by throwing a chip towards dealer Robert Tok to distract him while she placed a late winning bet of $1,510 and dishonestly induced the dealer to give her chips amounting to $3,020 at a roulette table on June 9.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Darren Goh said Toh and his accomplice were on opposite sides of the table when he distracted the victim by throwing a chip towards him. The chip landed on the number 0 on the layout roulette table.

Simultaneously, Madam Chee, 55, placed a stack of chips totalling $1,510 on the middle column box. Toh was stopped by RWS security staff at the entrance of the casino while his mother got away. He could have been jailed for up to 10 years and fined.

 

[Ranmaru Mori]

3 caught for forged passes


Oct 1, 2010
3 caught for forged passes

By Vanessa Jalleh

THREE Bangladeshi workers who were involved in a racket providing forged immigration extension stamps to foreign workers have been nabbed. For each fake endorsement, they charged $20. The trio were busted when one of the men, known as Mohamed', was stopped for checks by officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in Jalan Minyak. During the check, authorities retrieved a forged work permit that did not belong to him.

They also found two suspected forged immigration Special Passes. The 31-year-old Bangladeshi was arrested. The suspect brought the ICA officers to his flat where he and two other tenants had been forging immigration documents. The other two, Abdul and Azizul, were arrested for overstaying. The three suspects were referred to the police for further investigation.

 

[lauhunku]

4 charged over illegal entry


Oct 3, 2010
4 charged over illegal entry

AN INDONESIAN boatman and three female illegal immigrants he was allegedly trying to smuggle into Singapore were charged in court yesterday. Zamri Muhammad Ali, 33, had allegedly dropped off the three Chinese nationals near the Senoko shore early on Friday morning. All four were subsequently arrested.

Zamri was charged with entering Singapore illegally. He faces up to six months' imprisonment and a minimum of three strokes of the cane. He is being remanded pending further investigations. He faces three additional charges relating to conveying illegal immigrants.

The three Chinese women also had their cases heard. They are Xu Jinfeng, 32, Li Jun, 40, and Liu Guiling, 41. They were charged with entering Singapore illegally. If found guilty, they face up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $6,000. They were allowed $20,000 bail each. Their passports have been impounded.

 

[Darth Vader]

Fined $3,000 for casino offences


Oct 5, 2010
Fined $3,000 for casino offences

By Elena Chong

A CHINESE national who stole casino chips and used someone else's work permit as supporting evidence of his age was fined a total of $3,000 on Tuesday. Zhou Liang, 20, a milling machine operator, who pleaded guilty, stole two pieces of $25 Marina Bay Sands chips from an unknown man at a Sic Bo - an Asian dice game - table on Sept 11. As a minor, he was not allowed into the casino, but he used the work permit of one Xia Feng to enter the previous day.

The court that the victim placed a bet at the Sic Bo table and had wanted to claim his wager and winnings when he found the chips missing. He alerted the gaming pit manager, who reported it to the surveillance manager. Closed-circuit television footage showed Zhou dishonestly removing the victim's wager and winnings amounting to $50. Zhou was arrested when he returned to the casino the next day.

 

[Red 6]

Oct 8, 2010
Casino bookmaker jailed

AN INDONESIAN man was jailed for two weeks and fined $20,000 on Friday for acting as a bookmaker at Resorts World Sentosa casino. Salesman Tjong Loi Sin, 29, admitted committing the offence at the RWS casino Maxims Club on June 11. The court heard that he arrived here on June 7 to check his job application as a dealer at Marina Bay Sands Casino. He went to RWS casino and lost $1,000 gambling. Through an acquaintance, he was recommended to work for a man known as Asun to offer private insurance bets similar to the rules stipulated by the casino to patrons at Maxims Club. Tjong, who would be paid $60 a day, offered private insurance bets to various patrons from June 8 until his arrest by the casino security three days later. He could have been fined up to $200,000 and jailed for up to five years for acting as a bookmaker.

 

[boba fett]

Molester spared fine, jailed


Oct 12, 2010
Molester spared fine, jailed

By Selina Lum

A BUSINESSMAN sentenced to a week's jail and fined $3,000 for molesting a hotel trainee had the fine set aside on appeal, but will have to go to prison. Justice VK Rajah upheld the jail term handed down by a district court, but said on Tuesday that he did not see what purpose the fine served. In an unusual move, the appeal judge ordered that half the sum be refunded to the businessman, Udaya Kumar Purushottaman Chembottu, 50, and the other half be given to the victim as compensation.

Under the law, courts can issue compensation orders for victims in addition to other sentences meted out to the offender. Noting that the prosecution has asked for such orders before in maid abuse cases, the judge said he saw no reason why this should not be done in molest cases too. Molest victims have gone through some trauma but are not likely to sue their assailant for damages, he said.

Read the full story in Wednesday's edition of The Straits Times.

 

[khunking]

Re: Molester spared fine, jailed

黑吃黑2 wrongs don't make a right.

Oct 12, 2010
Molester spared fine, jailed

By Selina Lum

Justice VK Rajah upheld the jail term handed down by a district court, but said on Tuesday that he did not see what purpose the fine served. In an unusual move, the appeal judge ordered that half the sum be refunded to the businessman, Udaya Kumar Purushottaman Chembottu, 50, and the other half be given to the victim as compensation.

 

[Red 3]

Taiwanese loan shark jailed


Oct 14, 2010
Taiwanese loan shark jailed

By Khushwant Singh

HIRED in Taiwan in August and promised $3,600 a month to harass debtors here for a loan shark syndicate, Wu Ting-Yi was arrested before he could get started. The 29-year-old Taiwanese was jailed seven months by a district court on Thursday for conspiring to commit acts of harassment for an unknown illegal moneylending syndicate. He could have been jailed for up to five years and fined up to $50,000.

According to court documents, Wu, who was unemployed, was recruited in Kaohsiung, a city in south-west Taiwan, by a syndicate member known only as Xiao Su. He was told that his air fare to Singapore and accommodation here would be paid for and his job was to deface walls and lock the iron grilles of the homes of debtors. For this, he would be paid $3,600 a month.

If arrested, he would receive $900 in compensation for every month he served in jail and an additional $3,600 if caned. He then flew here with Chen Ci Fan on Aug 20. Both received month-long social visit passes. Wu was also given SIM cards for his cell phone but before he could get into the act, he was arrested on Aug 22 in the car park of Hamilton Road near Lavender MRT station. He has been in remand since.

The court was told that Chen, 30, has also been arrested and his case will be heard later this month while Xiao Su is on the run. Both are also Taiwanese. Deputy Public Prosecutor Sherlyn Neo told the court that at least eight foreigners, including Wu, have been involved in illegal money-lending activities up to August. She said that this trend must be curbed .

 

[Red 3]

Woman arrested for prostituting herself at MBS


Woman arrested for prostituting herself at MBS
By Saifulbahri Ismail | Posted: 15 October 2010 2151 hrs
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SINGAPORE: A 35-year-old Vietnamese woman was arrested on Thursday for soliciting for prostitution at the Marina Bay Sands casino.

Police were conducting anti-crime patrol at the casino when the woman approached one of the officers.

She reportedly offered the officer sexual services for S$200.

The woman persisted in her offer despite the officer's rejection.

The officer then identified himself and arrested the woman.

She will be charged on Saturday in court and if found guilty she could be fined a sum not exceeding S$1,000.

-CNA/wk

 

[Jiang Wei]

2 Taiwanese face caning for loan shark offences


Oct 18, 2010

Taiwan concerned over duo
2 Taiwanese face caning for loan shark offences

TAIPEI - TAIWAN is concerned about two Taiwanese men who are to be caned in Singapore after being convicted of loan shark offences, officials said on Monday. Officials from Taiwan's representative office in Singapore have visited the two and helped arrange a trip by their relatives to the city state, said Taiwan's foreign ministry spokesman James Chang.

'We're concerned about the two,' he told AFP. Singaporean police said the duo - Su Wei-ying, 28, and Wu Wei-chun, 24 - had been jailed for 24 months and 21 months respectively, Taiwan's Central News Agency reported. Both were also to receive 15 strokes of the cane for their offences, it said.

When asked to comment specifically on the caning, Mr Chang replied that 'we respect Singapore's law' and urged Taiwanese nationals to abide by the country's laws while staying there. Taiwan does not have diplomatic ties with Singapore but has provided training venues for Singapore's artillery, armoured vehicles and infantry units. -- AFP

 

[Dian Wei]

Airport agent fined for graft


Oct 20, 2010
Airport agent fined for graft

By Elena Chong

A FORMER customer service agent who took bribes from a Sri Lankan business to waive excess baggage fees was fined a total of $6,000 on Wednesday. Murali Gobal Krisnan, 29, a Malaysian, was also ordered to pay a penalty of $500. He pleaded guilty to corruptly accepting bribes of $100 and $200 from Kulathunga Arachchilage Nayanajith Lanka Kulathunga, 32, to help passengers check in excess baggage without charging the excess baggage fees.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Agnes Chan told District Judge Paul Quan that Murali was on duty at the Cathay Pacific Airline check-in counters in December 2008 when Lanka approached him to ask if he could help his two Sri Lankan friends check in their excess baggage of about 5kg in total without paying the necessary fees. Murali agreed without seeking approval from his supervising officer. As a result the passengers did not have to pay the extra fees of $133.50.

In January 2009, Lanka met Murali in Little India and passed him $100 as a reward for his assistance. That month, Lanka asked Murali while he was on duty to help five Sri Lankan friends check in their excess baggage of about 15kg without having to pay $400 more. Murali agreed and transferred the excess 15kg to three unknown passengers on the same flight. He was given $200 by Lanka. A third similar charge was taken into consideration. Lanka has since been charged and the case is in pre-trial stage.

 

[boba fett]

2 illegal overstayers arrested


Oct 20, 2010
2 illegal overstayers arrested

By Lee Jia Xin

TWO illegal overstayers trying to sneak out of Singapore through the Woodlands Checkpoint and their driver were arrested last Sunday. Officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) discovered the two Chinese nationals in the boot of the Malaysian registered car while conducting a routine check. The trio were detained.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the two Chinese women, Luo ZhenMei, 39, and Wu MeiXian, 43, had overstayed in Singapore to seek illegal employment.

The two women were charged and convicted for overstaying in Singapore on Tuesday. They were each sentenced to six months' imprisonment and fined $3,000 in default six weeks' jail. The case against the driver, Lau Han Kiat, has been fixed for further mention next week.

 

[Valkyrie]

Fined for theft of casino chips


Oct 21, 2010
Fined for theft of casino chips

By Elena Chong

A BANGLADESH worker was fined $700 on Thursday for stealing $200 worth of casino chips from a punter. Motiur Rahaman Khan Moohammed Bazlur Rahman K, 40, admitted to stealing a piece of $100 chip and four pieces of $25 chips from a patron, Mr Sangamuthu Iyappan, 33, at Marina Bay Sands casino, on Oct 14. The court heard that Mr Iyappan, an Indian national, placed four pieces of $25 cash chips at the baccarat table on the player layout, and left for a nearby gaming table.

He won. The dealer was making the payouts when Motiur Rahaman Khan, who had been standing around, stretched out his hand and took away the victim's wager and winning cash chip amounting to $200. When the victim came back a while later and found his wager and winnings missing, he reported it to the pit supervisor. Motiur Rahaman was arrested when he returned to the casino six days later. He could have been jailed for up to three years and/or fined for theft.

 

[khunking]

PR fined for molesting doctor

Oct 19, 2010

PR fined for molesting doctor

<!-- by line -->By Elena Chong
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Pham Thia Ha, 30, a IT engineer was fined $8,000 for using criminal force on a doctor at Raffles Medical Clinic. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW

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A FORMER IT engineer was fined a total of $8,000 on Tuesday for molesting a doctor during a consultation.
Pham Thai Ha, 30, a Singapore permanent resident, was convicted last week by District Judge Kamala Ponnampalam of holding the 26-year-old doctor's shoulders and trying to kiss her when he was seeking treatment for a rash on a finger.
The incident took place at a clinic in Clementi on June 8 last year. He was also found guilty of using criminal force on the doctor by grasping her hand and pulling her to him. The doctor had testified that after prescribing an antibiotic cream for the rash on Pham's finger, he complained about a rash on his buttocks. On examining him, she found dark skin patches there.
She alleged that he was then aroused, and reached for her hand and tried to tug it towards him. She pulled away and went to her table, but he sat naked on the couch and asked: 'Are you sure you've finished checking?'
He then got dressed, went behind her, put his hands on her shoulders, leaned down and said he liked her very much. When he next tried to steal a kiss, she shouted for the nurse, she said.
Pham left the room but returned a while later to apologise; he also laid a finger on his lips to ask for her discretion. Pham, defended by Mr P.E. Ashokan, could have been jailed for up to two years, fined or caned or received any combination of the punishments for outrage of modesty.

 

[chobolan]

American overstayer faces caning


Oct 21, 2010
American overstayer faces caning

By Khushwant Singh

US EMBASSY MONITORING CASE

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 spokesman 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. -- AFP

AN AMERICAN, who accompanied his wife to Singapore last December for fertility treatment, and overstayed, could be the first US citizen to be caned in 16 years. After his three-month social visit pass expired on March 15, Kamari Kenyada Charlton, 37, is believed to have remained in Singapore for an extra 169 days, which is nearly half a year, without permission from the immigration authorities.

Under the law, overstaying for more than 90 days is punished by a jail term of up to six months and a minimum three strokes of the cane. Charlton, who was born in the Bahamas, was arrested at Changi Airport on Sept 1 as he was about to leave the country, his lawyer M. Ravi said at a press conference on Thursday.

The lawyer added that the Attorney-General's Chambers had rejected a request to consider compounding the offence and imposing a fine as was the case of several overstayers including a Croatian cousin of Charlton's wife, who had overstayed for 194 days and was allowed to leave after paying a composition fine of $500.

Mr Ravi is planning to take the case to the High Court on grounds of discrimination. Charlton, who now runs a construction business in the Bahamas, is being remanded while his wife, who has both Australian and British citizenship, is back in the Bahamas and expecting a baby girl.

If caned, he would be the first American to be punished this way in Singapore since the widely-publicised case of the then 18-year-old American teenager Michael Fay, who was sentenced to four months in jail and four strokes of the cane in 1994 for vandalism, despite appeals for leniency by then US President Bill Clinton. Charlton will appear in court on Friday for his lawyer to make arrangements for the trial.

 

[chobolan]

Malaysian jailed 2 years for using counterfeit credit card


Malaysian jailed 2 years for using counterfeit credit card
By Ng Jing Yng | Posted: 21 October 2010 1911 hrs
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SINGAPORE : A Malaysian was sentenced on Thursday to two years' jail for making fraudulent purchases with a counterfeit credit card.

Chan Chee Woon, 30, was convicted of using the fake credit card to purchase a Rolex watch worth more than S$9,000.

The court heard that Chan, an odd job worker, had run into an 8,000-ringgit debt in Malaysia and had agreed to commit the crime to cancel his debt.

On August 3, he arrived in Singapore and was accompanied by an unknown man to make their purchase at Hour Glass in Ngee Ann City.

When Chan first tried to pay using a Citibank Visa Gold credit card, it was rejected by the system. He then presented a forged Chase Bank Visa credit card that was accepted.

Chan was subsequently detained in the shop while the unknown accomplice escaped.

Chan had conspired with unknown accomplices from a Malaysian syndicate to cheat the store.

District Judge Eddy Tham said the court took a serious view of such offences and warned others not to resort to such means to solve their financial woes.

Chan could have been jailed up to 15 years and fined.

- CNA/al

 

[khunking]

American faces Singapore caning over expired visa

Thursday, 21st October 2010 - 15:25CET
American faces Singapore caning over expired visa

An American could face being caned in Singapore after he overstayed his visa.
Kamari Charlton, a former Florida State University football player, was arrested on September 1 when he attempted to leave the city-state 169 days after his 90-day social visit pass expired, said his lawyer.
He could become the first American in 16 years to be caned in Singapore.
Charlton, who was born in the Bahamas and owns a construction company there, was in Singapore to accompany his wife who was receiving medical care for pregnancy complications, said the lawyer.
Staying in Singapore more than 90 days after the end of a visa is punishable with a maximum jail term of six months and at least three cane strokes.