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[Darth Sidious]

No jail for man who breached self-imposed casino ban

AsiaOne
Friday, Jun 15, 2012

The High Court has ruled that a man, who breached a self-imposed ban from casinos, will not have to be imprisoned for trying to enter a casino last September.

Instead, Mr Xu Zhao He, 41, was fined $3,000 and spared from the two-month prison sentence handed to him earlier.

A Straits Times (ST) article reported that Mr Xu had tried to use his wife's identity card to enter the casino at Resorts World Sentosa after his wife passed it to him for safekeeping.

He was initially fined $800 and sentenced to jail by a district court but appealed on the basis that he had applied for the self-exclusion ban through his son on his own accord.

His lawyer also cited five similar cases last year where no jail sentences were handed out to offenders who had breached their orders.

Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong said that people who apply for self-exclusion should not be jailed because the harsh penalty might dissuade others, who wish to be helped, from applying for self-exclusion orders.

The Chief justice said in his judgement that the jail sentence handed to Xu was 'wrong in principle, inappropriate and manifestly excessive'.

Unlike bans and restrictions imposed by the Casino Regulatory Authority of Singapore and the Commissioner of Police, self-exclusion bans are voluntary efforts made by vulnerable people, to surrender their rights so that they can avoid incurring financial harm to themselves and their families, he added.

The act of breaching a self-imposed ban is not a criminal offence under the Casino Control Act, the CJ said.

Xu told ST that he applied for the order because he did not want to lose money at the casinos, and regretted breaching the ban by trying to enter the casino last year.

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[Westwood]

Re: Drunk British national accidentally set rubbish on fire, killing himself


More charges for cricket trio accused of housebreaking, theft

Published on Jun 15, 2012

Jeraj Puvaneshen, leaving the court after his family members posted bail of $20,000. Puvaneshen and two national cricket players who were charged two weeks ago with housebreaking to steal valuables amounting to nearly $20,400, now face additional charges.-- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW

By Khushwant Singh

A school cricket coach and two national players who were charged two weeks ago with housebreaking to steal valuables amounting to nearly $20,400, now face additional charges.

On Friday, Jeraj Puvaneshan, 26, was also accused of allegedly helping to dispose $10,240 worth of stolen jewellery at a pawnshop in Chinatown on Dec 21, 2009.

Sisters Rajeswari, 24, and Vigineswari Pasupathy, 22, who are listed as members of the women's national squad on the Singapore Cricket Association website, face two more housebreaking charges.

Early this month, the trio was charged with allegedly breaking into a flat in Hougang Street 51 at 1pm on May 17 this year.

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

 

[Shermie]

Man who posed as cop gets 6 years' corrective training

Published on Jun 18, 2012

Koh Kah Yong, 27, a Singapore permanent resident, committed 34 offences within a year of his release from corrective training. -- PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
By Elena Chong

An unemployed man who posed as a cop and stole mobile phones from his victims was sentenced to six years' corrective training on Monday.

Koh Kah Yong, 27, a Singapore permanent resident, committed 34 offences within a year of his release from corrective training.

The court heard that he would flash a military identity card and identify himself as a police officer from the Criminal Investigation Department. He then demanded for the victims' identity cards.

Some of the victims, aged 14 to 21 years, also handed their mobile phones to him as he claimed that he needed to verify the serial numbers.

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

 

[Akuma]

Three Malaysians charged over "scratch and win" scam
By Claire Huang | Posted: 20 June 2012 1909 hrs

SINGAPORE: Three Malaysians have been charged in court with conspiring to cheat two elderly women of S$10,000 to S$12,100 in a "scratch and win" scam.

Tay Chee Boon and Lee Hao Yi, both aged 23, and Gan Ee Sing, 47, are accused of conspiring with an unknown fourth person to cheat the women on Monday.

62-year-old Ching Chuan Tin and 73-year-old Phua Meng Kim were shopping in a Johor Bahru mall when they were asked to participate in the "scratch and win" game.

They were told they won a car and were brought to the men's office.

The victims were then told they had to pay for the car's Goods and Services Tax of S$10,000 to S$12,100 before they could claim their prize.

They agreed and the trio drove them back to a Tampines flat belonging to one of the victims for Mdm Ching to issue a cheque.

An alert relative stopped the payment in the nick of time and called the police who arrested the trio on the same day.

Police say between January and May this year, there have been 46 cases reported in which a total of about S$175,000 were lost to similar scams.

If convicted, each man faces up to 10 years' jail and is liable to be fined.

- CNA/wm

 

[Darth Sidious]

Thursday, Jun 21, 2012
AsiaOne

Driver rams into family on pavement, killing one

SINGAPORE - An elderly lady in her 60s died and three others were injured after a car mounted a curb and ploughed into them.

The fatal accident occurred at Woodlands Drive 14 at about 5.45pm.

According to news reports, the victims were related.

64-year-old Wei Han Xiao, her daugher-in-law and two grandsons were reportedly on their way to a nearby coffeeshop for their dinner when the accident occurred.

According to an eyewitness that the Shin Min Daily spoke to, the car - which had P-plates - was moving along the road when it suddenly swerved to the left and did not stop after mounting the pavement.

Mdm Wei and the two young boys were flung several metres away after being struck. Mdm Wei remained on the ground motionless where she fell, said an eyewitness. She died in hospital at around 8pm.

Mdm Wei's daughter-in-law, Mdm Ho, and Mdm Ho's sons aged about seven to nine were conscious, and were sent to Khoo Teck Puat hospital.

Mdm Ho, 35, fractured her left foot from the accident. Her older son fractured his left leg while the younger boy suffered minor scratches.

According to another eyewitness, the driver eventually got out of the car to help. However, he walked back to the car and seemed to be trying to escape.

Another driver, afraid that he would get away, deliberately drove forward and blocked his way, said the eyewitness.

The New Paper and Shin Min Daily both reported that a slight commotion erupted between some men at about 6.30pm, with two men threatening to beat another - believed to be the driver of the car - up.

The driver told reporters from the Chinese evening daily that he had swerved the car in order to avoid a boy who had ran onto the road. He also denied any attempt at escaping the scene.

The driver was arrested at the scene and investigations are ongoing.

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chinese papers reported that the driver is an 32 yr-old SRI LANKAN engineer and even tried to runaway after the accident. ​

he was detained by passerby. speaking to the reporters, he maintained he is not at fault.
​

 

[Shermie]

Man jailed 6 weeks for criminal trespass and molest

Published on Jun 26, 2012
By Elena Chong

A China national who trespassed into the bedroom of a co-tenant and molested her was jailed for six weeks on Tuesday.

Zong Zhihao, 27, then an electrical assembler, admitted to entering into the bedroom of the 19-year-old student, holding onto her hands and pressing her down on the bed and touching her cheek with his face.

The court heard that he was in the kitchen in the early hours on Jan 3 when he found some spare keys.

He used the keys to unlock the victim's bedroom.

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

 

[Akuma]

Thai national jailed for pimping

AsiaOne
Thursday, Jun 28, 2012

A Thai national has been jailed four months for working here as a pimp and managing a brothel.

The 30-year-old, who earned five times more than he used to as a waiter in Thailand, was charged with assisting a vice syndicate, living off immoral earnings, and managing a brothel.

According to the Straits Times (ST), police arrested Rueangvutthikorn Rattanapanangsakul during a raid of a Beach Road apartment on May 8.

Four Thai women, who were on one-month social visit passes, were also arrested.

The court heard that various agents were involved in providing free air travel for the women to come here as prostitutes.

Rueangvutthikorn was paid $1,000 monthly on top of his air travel, lodging and food expenses.

His job was to have the women settled in an apartment brothel.

The women would provide sexual service to the first 28 men for 90 minutes each without receiving payment, ST said.

The men would be charged between $140 to $160 but the women could only extract half of the fees for themselves after the first 28 services.

Rueangvutthikorn said through his lawyer that he wanted to earn more money to better support his parents.

The court was told that he could only earn $100 to $200 a month as a waiter in Thailand.

 

[Shermie]

Man jailed 18 weeks for molesting woman

AsiaOne
Monday, Jul 02, 2012

SINGAPORE - An Australian national was sentenced today to 18 weeks' imprisonment for molesting a woman at a farewell party.

55-year-old Paul Joseph Smith was found guilty last Wednesday of squeezing the breast of a 38-year-old IT consultant twice outside a Mohamed Sultan Road restaurant on Sept 3 last year.

The victim was having dinner with Smith and three others at the restaurant as a project which they were working on was ending.

While shaking hands and bidding goodbye to each other, the victim reportedly felt two squeezes on her right breast.

She then shouted at him and reacted by pinching his breast hard.

He remained very calm even though she stared at him throughout the incident.

Later, he moved back and she tried to knee him without success.

Smith, a testing manager with a foreign bank at the time of the offence, is appealing against conviction and sentence.

Bail of $10,000 was offered, pending the appeal.

He could have been jailed up to two years, fined, caned or received any combination of these sentences.

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[Terry Bogard]

Man jailed for carrying drugs in his shoes
By Alvina Soh | Posted: 03 July 2012 1845 hrs

SINGAPORE : A South Korean man took up a friend's offer to carry drugs in his shoes, after he was promised a free trip to Singapore and Sydney.

But he was caught with the drugs hidden in his shoes at Changi Airport in 2009.

On Tuesday, 43-year-old Kim Gwang Seok was sentenced to a jail term of five years and nine months.

Kim pleaded guilty to possessing at least 550.7 grammes of diamorphine, concealed in his shoes.

He was arrested, along with two other South Koreans and a Nepalese, at Changi Airport Terminal 3 on 30 August 2009.

Kim, who is a former real estate agent, has since been remanded for three years.

It all started in August 2009, when Kim received an offer from his friend Lee Byung Gyun, to go on a free trip to Singapore and Australia.

Kim was told that his air tickets and hotel accommodations would be fully paid for, and he would receive US$1,000 in addition.

In return, Kim had to deliver 'some bundles' from Singapore to Sydney.

Kim agreed and roped in two more South Koreans - 54-year-old Han Tae Seop and 52-year-old Kang Bong Je - to assist him.

The trio flew from Seoul to Singapore shortly after.

They met up with 25-year-old Nepalese Yubindra Bahadur Tamang, the mastermind of the operation, at a hotel room.

Yubindra then passed the trio shoes which contained the bundles of drugs.

The trio wore their shoes all the way to the airport, where they proceeded to check in for their flights to Sydney.

They were then arrested and detained by officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau.

In mitigation, Kim's lawyer highlighted that Kim was not part of a drug syndicate.

The court also heard that Kim, as a first-time offender, was "immensely and extremely remorseful".

Kim's lawyer also argued that Kim did not receive any "substantial profit".

But District Judge Wong Li Tein, in her sentencing, noted that Kim had committed a very serious offence.

She also reprimanded Kim for agreeing to his friend's offer, as "there was no such thing as a free lunch" and "reasonable suspicion should have been aroused".

For unauthorised possession of drugs, Kim could have been jailed up to 10 years and fined S$20,000.

Yubindra was previously sentenced to 21 years' jail and 24 strokes of the cane.

Kang and Han's cases are still pending.

- CNA/ms

 

[Cloud]

http://www.reach.gov.sg/YourSay/Dis...FormAction=[[ssBlogThread_VIEW]]&tid=[[8374]]

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[Terry Bogard]

S. Korean businessman steals laptop on SIA flight

AsiaOne | Fri, Jul 6 2012

A South Korean businessman who stole a laptop onboard a Singapore Airlines flight from Seoul to Singapore was fined $2,000 on Friday.

On June 18, Shin Dongwook, 43, had rummaged through the overhead compartment during the flight and took a laptop belonging to American engineer Armando V. Lopez, 45.

Mr Lopez did not realise his laptop was stolen because Shin had placed a magazine of the same size and weight into his laptop bag. He only found out about the loss at his hotel room at Foch Road in Jalan Besar, reported The Straits Times.

Five days later, Shin was back at Changi Airport. He had arrived here from Bangkok at 1pm and was to board a flight to Seoul about an hour later.

After police conducted a search, the stolen laptop valued at $1,530 was found in his luggage.

Shin was arrested and charged for theft under the Tokyo Convention Act, which governs offences committed in international airspace onboard a Singapore-controlled aircraft.

The Straits Times reported that Shin pleaded guilty on Friday. He had admitted to the police that he had succumbed to greed while keeping his belongings in the overhead compartment during the flight from Seoul.

Shin said through a Korean interpreter that he had acted completely out of character and pleaded for a lenient sentence.

He said he intends to consult a psychiatrist upon returning to South Korea.

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[Shermie]

Man hides under mattress in attempt to leave S'pore illegally

AsiaOne
Monday, Jul 09, 2012

SINGAPORE - Yesterday night, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers discovered a man hiding between the mattress and a row of cupboards behind the driver seat of a Malaysia-registered van departing from Singapore.

At about 10.15pm, the officers directed the vehicle for checks at the Tuas Checkpoint and physical inspection revealed a 25-year-old Bangladeshi hiding in the vehicle

The lone driver and his undeclared passenger were immediately placed under arrest.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the 37-year-old male Malaysian driver was promised $1, 000 to bring the immigration offender out of the country.

The driver had met up with the offender in Woodlands and instructed the latter to hide inside his van before proceeding to Tuas Checkpoint for departure.

Both the driver and the immigration offender are currently under investigation for the offences.

The vehicle used has been detained and is liable for forfeiture.

If found guilty of overstaying or illegal entry, offenders can be jailed for up to six months and caned a minimum of three strokes.

The penalty for illegal departure is a fine of up to $2,000, a jail term of up to six months, or both.

ICA said they have tightened security checks on passengers and vehicles at the checkpoints to prevent attempts to smuggle in undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contrabands.

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[Alto Saotome]

3 Hongkongers charged over suspected housebreaking

Published on Jul 9, 2012

Housebreaking implements, gloves, maps of Singapore and walkie-talkie sets were seized as case exhibits. -- PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE

By Elena Chong

Three men from Hongkong believed to be running a transnational housebreaking syndicate were charged on Monday with having housebreaking instruments.

Koo Tsang Wing, Chan Ping Man, both 54, and Chow Kai Yu, 55, were arrested at the junction of Tanjong Katong Road and Lyndhurst Road last Saturday evening during a joint police operation.

Koo allegedly had an assortment of items such as surgical masks, gloves, housebreaking tools including crowbars, saw blades, screwdrivers and spanner without lawful authority.

Chan was found with a cap, a pair of woollen gloves and a surgical mask while Chow had, among other things, a walkie-talkie and two surgical masks. They were remanded for a week. If convicted each of them faces a jail term of up to two years.

 

[Cloud]

Indonesian maid charged with theft, causing grievous hurt
By Alvina Soh | Posted: 11 July 2012 1848 hrs

SINGAPORE: An Indonesian maid was on Wednesday charged in court with theft and causing grievous hurt to her employer's 15-year-old son.

27-year-old Juwarni allegedly stole S$1,530 from her employer's apartment at Tampines Street 82 between April 2011 and July 2012.

She also allegedly carried and dropped her employer's son from a height of 0.8m sometime last week.

It is believed that the 15-year-old boy fractured his right arm and left knee as a result.

Juwarni is out on S$20,000 bail.

She will be back in court on August 8.

- CNA/wm

 

[Shermie]

Briton jailed 4 weeks for kicking police officer
Posted: 16 July 2012 1620 hrs

SINGAPORE: A recruitment consultant was jailed four weeks on Monday for kicking a police officer who had arrested him.

31-year-old Luke Raymond Chapman pleaded guilty to voluntarily causing hurt to 21-year-old police corporal (Cpl) Amirul Haikal Khairudin along Raffles Avenue on 17 September last year.

The Briton was detained at Esplanade Mall on that day for a case of outrage of modesty.

The court heard that Chapman had reeked of alcohol and was acting in an aggressive manner.

He even kicked a police car.

Corporal Amirul, on spotting his aggressive behaviour, helped two of his colleagues by holding Chapman's shoulder and pulling him towards the police car.

Chapman then kicked Cpl Amirul's leg suddenly.

The court heard that "reasonable force had to be used" to bring Chapman into the car.

A medical report from the Singapore General Hospital revealed that Cpl Amirul suffered tenderness in his right knee and was given three days' medical leave.

The prosecution said that Chapman had disregard for the law as he "blatantly hit the police" after his arrest.

Chapman could have been jailed up to seven years, fined and caned.

- CNA/ck

 

[Akuma]

Re: Money Laundering Hub


Pearls worth $22,000 recovered from South American thieves

AsiaOne
Tuesday, Jul 17, 2012

SINGAPORE - Three Colombians and one Peruvian were arrested by the police in connection with the theft of pearls worth US$17,000 (S$22,000) from Marina Bay Sands Singapore on July 15.

Two Japanese men reported that a black bag containing jewellery was stolen when they were at the MBS vehicle driveway.

The police worked with MBS to identify the suspects and the four South Americans were arrested in Sims Drive on July 17. The bag containing the jewellery was found in their possession.

The police said that investigations are still ongoing.

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[Ginchiyo Tachibana]

Re: He was killed for S$6, ez-link card and mobile phone


Technician gets 3-year driving ban for causing motorcyclist's death

Published on Jul 17, 2012
By Elena Chong

A technician was fined $6,000 and banned from driving all vehicles for three years on Tuesday for causing the death of a motorcyclist through his negligence.

Lee Kong Guan, 29, a Malaysian, admitted to driving a van along Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) on March 30, 2011, when he failed to keep a proper lookout while changing lanes.

He had signalled to change from the second to the extreme right lane of BKE when he encroached into the path of Malaysian Aidi Ridzwan Abu Bakar, 23, a labourer, at about 6.45pm.

The motorcycle rammed into the back of Lee's van. Both rider and pillion were flung off the machine.

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

 

[Dee Jay]

Re: Parasite Hub


Peruvian charged with disposing of stolen pearls

Published on Jul 18, 2012
By Elena Chong

A South American was charged on Wednesday with voluntarily helping to dispose of $16,128 worth of stolen pearls and necklaces.

Peruvian Jose Eloy Vasquez Aguilar, 38, is said to have helped to dispose of 28 strands of pearls, 488 pieces of loose pearls and 138 pieces of necklaces at a room in Strand Hotel, Bencoolen Street, on Monday, July 16.

The property is believed to have been stolen from the Singapore International Jewellery Show held at Marina Bay Sands.

Mr Vasquez Aguilar was remanded at Central for further investigation.

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

 

[Alto Saotome]

Man gets additional 6 months' jail for contraband cigarette activities
Posted: 24 July 2012 1646 hrs

SINGAPORE: A man has been sentenced to an additional six months' jail for his involvement in contraband cigarette activities at the Singapore Malay National Organisation (PKMS) Building.

Indonesian Atlis Suryanto, 41, admitted to transporting S$80,000 from Singapore to Batam, Indonesia, where he passed the money to a person called "Indra" on three occasions between July and September 2011.

In the sentencing on Tuesday, the court was told that there were three shipments of the contraband.

On each occasion, Suryanto would come to Singapore before the shipment arrived to collect advance payment and take cigarette orders from a Singaporean known as "Ali Asjadi" at the PKMS Building.

The money collected would then be passed on to "Indra" in Batam.

On the day of the shipment, Suryanto would return to Singapore to help with the loading, unloading and transportation.

For his effort, he would be paid S$150 by "Ali" and 5 million Indonesia Rupiah (more than S$600) by "Indra" for each shipment.

Suryanto was found to have removed the illegal gains from Singapore's jurisdiction after the authorities received information in late September 2011.

Suryanto is currently serving a 15-month jail term.

He and three others were caught last September with contraband cigarettes at PKMS Building by Singapore Customs officers. More than 2,400 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized.

- CNA/wm

 

[Ginchiyo Tachibana]

Re: Tax Free Hub?


6 men charged with paid sex with underage girl

AsiaOne
Wednesday, Aug 01, 2012

SINGAPORE - Six Bangladesh nationals were charged in court Wednesday with having paid sex with an underage girl, The Straits Times reported.

The offences took place in early 2011, and were mostly committed at various blocks in Hougang.

Only one, Wasim Rafiq Shek, 23, had sex with her at an unknown Geylang hotel. He allegedly paid the teenager $20.

Mohammad Easak Amir Uddin, 33, Md Salauddin Md Dudu Mia, 28, are accused of having paid the girl $10 each while Anwar, 29, believed to be an illegal immigrant, allegedly paid her $40.

Two others - Sharif Patwari Abdur Rajjak Patwari, 31, and Jojnal Jilhaque Khalifa, 31 - allegedly paid $20 and $25 respectively to the girl.

If convicted of having commercial sex with a girl under 18, they could be jailed for up to seven years and/or fined.

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