Foreign Talents? - Please Contribute

[Vultan]

Updated: 11/19/2013 16:49 | By Channel NewsAsia

Domestic worker jailed for trying to serve tainted water to employer

SINGAPORE: An Indonesian domestic worker was sent to jail for four months for attempting to serve her former employer water laced with insecticide.

28-year-old Pipih Sopiah was upset with her then-employer, 48-year-old Chong Bee San, for scolding her.

She sprayed a cup of water with insecticide, rinsed the cup and refilled it before handing it to Ms Chong.

The incident happened on 5 April this year.

In mitigation, the accused said through an interpreter that she is a single mother and has a daughter to take care of.

For acting rashly or negligently, which could endanger someone's life or personal safety, Pipih could have been jailed up to six months and fined S$2,500. - CNA/xq

 

[Vultan]

Re: Man gropes her, then punches her


Former bank officer jailed 1 1/2 years for Halloween fight

Published on Nov 21, 2013

James Daniel Rhodes, 37, British National, was sentenced to 18 months' jail for punching three victims during the house party. A Briton, who got into a fight at a Halloween party, was jailed for 11/2 years, on Thursday, Nov 21, 2013. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW

By Khushwant Singh

A Briton, who got into a fight at a Halloween party, was jailed for 11/2 years on Thursday. James Daniel Rhodes, 36, was convicted of causing grievous hurt to Mr Ronald Tan, an Australian. Mr Tan, 34, fractured his skull during the fight and died 14 months later.

Rhodes was also ordered to pay $32,000 in compensation to Mr Tan's mother. This is for medical expenses, loss of her son's income and transport expenses.

Rhodes, a former bank officer, was also found guilty of punching Mr Kevin Michael Hubbard, 31, an interior designer, at the same party. He is appealing against the conviction and sentence and is out on bail of $25,000.

During the trial, Deputy Public Prosecutor Sanjiv Vaswani told the court that Rhodes had been invited by a friend to the party on Oct 23, 2010 at The Spinnaker condominium near Newton. There, Rhodes got into an argument with Mr Tan. The Briton was told to leave but traded blows with one of the hosts in the lift. He was brought back to the apartment to change his bloodied shirt for a fresh one but while being ushered out again, he assaulted Mr Hubbard before punching Mr Tan in the face.

Get the full story from The Straits Times.

 

[Vultan]

Updated: 11/22/2013 18:22 | By Channel NewsAsia

Maid jailed 15 months for abusing two-year-old boy

SINGAPORE: A domestic helper who placed a heated iron steamer on the back of a two-year-old boy was on Friday sentenced to 15 months' jail.

The 31-year-old Indonesian maid and victim cannot be named due to a gag order.

The incident happened in August this year at a unit in Woodlands Drive.

At that time, the child was staying with his aunt as his parents had been admitted to the drug rehabilitation centre.

The victim, his brother and the maid were alone in the flat.

Court documents state that the boy was crying and asking the maid for biscuits when she burnt him with the hot iron steamer.

She applied ointment on the burn marks and threw away the boy's singlet to get rid of evidence.

The maid faced another charge of causing hurt by using her mobile phone to hit the boy's head, pulling his hair and kicking his waist. This was taken into account during sentencing.

In mitigation, the maid told the court her parents, who are in Indonesia, are very old and she has to take care of them.

She added that she has to support her two children.

For causing hurt using the hot iron steamer, the maid could have been jailed up to seven years, fined and caned. - CNA/ms

 

[Vultan]

Indonesian maid arrested over abandoned baby

Published on Nov 24, 2013

A 30-year-old Indonesian maid was arrested by the police last night in connection with an abandoned newborn baby that she had apparently found outside her employer's home off Sixth Avenue. -- ST FILE PHOTO: MELISSA LIN

By Melissa Lin

A 30-year-old Indonesian maid was arrested by the police last night in connection with an abandoned newborn baby that she had apparently found outside her employer's home.

The baby girl, who still had her umbilical cord attached, was left outside a terraced house near Sixth Avenue last Friday night, according to the home owner, who declined to give her name.

The middle-aged woman told The Sunday Times yesterday morning that her maid found the baby when she was taking out the garbage.

The maid then took the baby into the house and notified the woman's husband, who called the police. "I don't know why the baby was abandoned there," the woman said.

 

[Vultan]

Updated: 12/05/2013 13:39 | By Channel NewsAsia

Man who perched himself on crane charged with criminal trespass

Chinese national Zhang Huanjun was charged on Dec 5, 2013, with criminal trespass at a worksite in West Coast. Zhang allegedly stayed atop a crane eight storeys high at a West Coast construction site on Dec 3. -- ST PHOTO: YOW CHING LEE

SINGAPORE: The Chinese national who perched himself on top of a crane on December 3 was charged with criminal trespass on Thursday.

33-year-old Zhang Huan Jun had refused to come down from the crane at a West Coast construction site at about 7.30am.

Previous media reports state Zhang had apparently gambled away his money, so he asked for an advance of S$15,000 in his wages.

Court documents stated that he had asked project manager Song Renwei from China Construction (South Pacific) Development for the sum to be handed over.

For criminal trespass, Zhang can be jailed up to three months and fined S$1,500. - CNA/ac

 

[Vultan]

Updated: 12/10/2013 15:20 | By Channel NewsAsia

24 Indian nationals charged with rioting in Little India

SINGAPORE: 24 Indian nationals have been charged with rioting in Little India on Sunday night.

Each of the 24 men who appeared in court on Tuesday afternoon faces one rioting charge.

The maximum penalty for the offence is seven years' jail and caning.

The case will be mentioned again on December 17.

In the meantime, the Law Society's pro-bono services are looking to offer legal aid to the accused through their volunteer lawyers.

So far, more than 10 lawyers have indicated they are willing to do so.

The 24 were among the 28 arrested in the riot. The other four -- a Singapore permanent resident, two Bangladeshi nationals and an Indian national -- were subsequently released after they were found to have nothing to do with the incident.

The riot, the first in Singapore in over four decades, came after a fatal bus accident involving 33-year-old Indian worker Sakthivel Kumaravelu at the junction of Race Course Road and Hampshire Road.

Some 400 people were involved in the riot. Vehicles were set on fire, and emergency services workers were injured. - CNA/ac

 

[Vultan]

Two Chinese nationals jailed for theft on board aircraft

Published on Dec 11, 2013

Posed photo of a man in handcuffs. Two Chinese nationals were jailed on Wednesday in separate cases of stealing on board an aircraft last month. -- ST FILE PHOTO: WANG HUI FEN

By Elena Chong

Two Chinese nationals were jailed on Wednesday in separate cases of stealing on board an aircraft last month.

Hawker Hu Yunzhi, 45, was sentenced to a year's jail after he admitted to stealing various currencies amounting to $382 from Indonesian businessman Sugianto Tanoto Kusuma, 41, on board a Silkair plane from Medan to Singapore on Nov 19.

In the same court, chef Zhang Jun, 40, was jailed for nine months for stealing a black laptop bag from IT director Mark Ivan Swann, 59, on board a Silkair plane bound for Singapore from Phnom Penh that day.

A magistrate's court heard that cabin crew saw Hu take a Louis Vuitton bag from the overhead baggage compartment above Mr Kusuma's seat. He placed it on an aisle seat nearby and proceeded to rummage through the contents of the bag. He then returned the bag to its original location. Hu, who was seated a few rows behind the victim, sat a few rows from his original seat where he remained until landing. Mr Kusuma was asleep then and did not sense that anything was amiss.

Get the full story from The Straits Times.

 

[Vultan]

Hairstylist jailed for taking 39 upskirt videos at MRT stations

Published on Dec 13, 2013

A Malaysian hairstylist, who took upskirt video clips of women at MRT stations, was jailed for nine weeks on Friday, Dec 13, 2013, for insulting their modesty. -- ST POSED PHOTO: WANG HUI FEN

By Elena Chong

A Malaysian hairstylist, who took upskirt video clips of women at MRT stations, was jailed for nine weeks on Friday for insulting their modesty.

Yap Wen Jack, 20, faced a total of 39 counts of using a mobile phone camera to capture video recordings of victims in dresses, skirts and shorts between September and October this year. He pleaded guilty to nine charges and had the remaining charges taken into consideration.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Eunice Lau said a 34-year-old teacher was going up the escalator with her mother and son at Yishun MRT Station on Sept 29 when she saw Yap following her immediately from behind and standing between herself and her mother.

The victim saw that he had positioned himself such that his feet were on different steps and that he had placed his mobile phone on his thigh nearest to her, with its camera lens facing upwards. When the victim and Yap reached the train platform, he quickly walked away and checked his mobile phone. He then boarded the train. The victim, who was wearing a long denim top with a pair of shorts underneath, suspected that Yap had taken a video or photo from under her skirt and felt offended.

Get the full story from The Straits Times.

 

[Vultan]

Pimp's wife jailed for procuring women

Sharon Trinidad Lorenzo, 32, a Filipino who was charged for helping her husband to procure women for purposes of prostitution, exits the subordinate courts on 13 December, 2013.

Khushwant Singh
The Straits Times
Monday, Dec 16, 2013

A Filipino who helped recruit women from the Philippines to offer sexual services to customers at three of her Singaporean husband's pubs was jailed for three months on Friday.

Sharon Trinidad Lorenzo, 31, pleaded guilty to procuring the women for prostitution. Her lawyer Sankar Saminathan had asked the court to impose only a fine.

However, District Judge Salina Ishak said a jail term was appropriate considering Lorenzo's "critical role" in recruiting the women.

Her husband, Govindaraju Sivakumar, 40, was jailed on Tuesday for 18 months for offences that included harbouring prostitutes and managing an illegal brothel.

He had met Lorenzo in 2004, when he was then running the Retreat pub in Neil Road.

He hired her as a hostess for two months. She arranged for Filipinas to come to work as waitresses and hostesses at the pub.

Then in 2007, Govindaraju hired her as a domestic helper to take care of his elderly mother. She also helped him manage the women working in his pubs.

She returned to the Philippines in 2010 and they married here in September last year.

By then, Govindaraju was the owner of Club Milagro and Givande pubs in Keong Saik Road and Club Rendevousz in Kampong Bahru Road.

Acting on a complaint from the Philippine Embassy about the trafficking of a Filipina for prostitution, police arrested the couple.

Investigations showed the couple had arranged for 26 women to offer sexual services at the pubs.

The women also worked as dancers and earned commissions on "ladies' drinks" that customers bought for them and from the "bar fines" paid for taking them out for sex. The women, aged between 20 and 32, charged $200 for a two-hour session and $300 for a 12-hour-session.

They also offered other types of sexual services at the pubs for customers who ordered at least 10 "ladies' drinks", each of which cost more than $30.

Govindaraju charged the women $110 each a week to live in an apartment in the west coast area or $120 a week to live in a flat in Spottiswoode Park near his pubs.

He also had rules for them. For every kilogram of weight they put on after their arrival here, $10 would be deducted from their salary which they received every fortnight.

A few of the women told police they thought they would be working as waitresses and dancers, only to find out later that they also had to prostitute themselves.

Lorenzo, who is out on bail, was allowed to start serving sentence on Jan 10.

She could have been fined up to $10,000 or jailed for up to five years, or both.

[email protected]

 

[Vultan]

Indonesian maid jailed for slapping employer's three-year-old daughter

Published on Dec 17, 2013

An Indonesian maid was jailed for two weeks on Tuesday for slapping her employer's three-year-old daughter on the cheek twice. -- ST FILE PHOTO: WANG HUI FEN

By Elena Chong

An Indonesian maid was jailed for two weeks on Tuesday for slapping her employer's three-year-old daughter on the cheek twice.

Dainawati, 25, who goes by one name, pleaded guilty to causing hurt to the child who suffered a bruise on her face. The incident took place at a flat in Commonwealth Drive on July 4 last year.

The maid had been working for the employer - the child's mother - since December 2011, and had been entrusted with caring for the child for a few months. On July 4 last year, the employer returned home and found multiple marks on the left side of the girl's face. When questioned, Dianawati lied that the girl fell and hurt herself in the toilet.

The employer checked with her brother, who shared the same flat, and he said the marks did not appear to have been caused by a fall in the toilet. She then asked the victim who told her that the maid had slapped her twice.

Get the full story from The Straits Times.

 

[Vultan]

Man arrested in headless body murder at McNair Road

Police are searching for 33-year-old Indian National, Harvinder Singh (inset), to assist in investigations into the murder of Jasvinder Kaur, whose decapitated body was found in Whampoa River on Dec 12.
AsiaOne

Thursday, Dec 19, 2013

SINGAPORE - Police have arrested a 25-year-old Indian national and are trying to locate another suspect, in connection with the murder of woman, whose decapitated body was found in Whampoa River on December 12.

The victim is believed to be 33-year-old Jasvinder Kaur, a female Indian National.

Police said in a statement that a headless body was found inside a canal near Blk 110 McNair Road on December 12. The victim's hands had also been severed from the wrists.

A male suspect has been arrested and will face court on the charge of murder on Friday.

A second suspect, 33-year-old Indian National, Harvinder Singh, is also being sought. Harvinder Singh had left Singapore shortly before the death of Jasvinder Kaur was reported, police said. Authorities in neighbouring countries have been notified to trace his whereabouts.

Anyone with information on Harvinder Singh can come forward and contact the Police at 1800-255-0000. Information can also be submitted via www.spf.gov.sg/CrimeStopper. All information will be kept strictly confidential.

[email protected]

 

[Vultan]

Director of construction company jailed for road rage

Published on Dec 20, 2013
By Elena Chong

https://plus.google.com/103181014166160955718/about

A director of a construction company, who pushed and punched a delivery driver in a road rage incident, was sentenced to jail for a week on Friday. Dong Shuqiang, 49, admitted to causing hurt to Mr Ong Beng Aik, 40, at Alexandra Road in front of Delta House on Aug 25 last year.

A court heard that Dong was driving a Toyota car on the leftmost lane of Alexandra Road that evening when Mr Ong, who was on the second leftmost lane, wanted to cut in after signalling.

Dong, who was concerned that Mr Ong's car was too close, sounded his horn and the victim filtered back to his lane so that Dong could pass. The victim gestured in an apologetic manner. Dong refused to give way to him and accelerated to prevent the victim from filtering into the leftmost lane.

When the vehicles came to a stop at the traffic light in front of Delta House, Dong got out of his car and confronted the victim, who had also alighted. Before the victim could say anything, Dong pushed him and gave him a punch on the left cheek.

Get the full story from The Straits Times.

 

[Vultan]

Student agent fined $72K over forged certs obtained from China

Posted on 23 December 2013

A man was fined a total of $72,000 on Monday on nine charges of conspiring with others to forge documents in China.

Student agent Wang Hongtian, 28, a Singapore permanent resident, admitted to abetment by conspiracy to forge documents in China with co-accused Xu Changqing, 29, Xu Rui, 26, and others unknown in China, reports The Straits Times.

Eighteen other charges were considered during his sentencing.

A district court heard he was arrested on Jan 13 this year. Twenty-seven hardcopy forged documents were seized from him such as certificates purportedly issued by Murdoch University and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.

His arrest followed student He Lingting's arrest on Jan 10 for selling university certificates and transcripts online. The 21-year-old female Chinese national had implicated her boyfriend, Xu Changqing, Xu Rui and Wang.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Vadi PVSS told the court that sometime last year, Wang came to know unknown persons in China on the Internet. He would get forged documents which were fraudulently produced from these unknown persons with the intention of causing it to be believed that they were issued by various local and foreign educational institutions.

He conspired with the two Xus to market forged documents to prospective clients in Singapore. He would pay about $1,000 for each document and would sell it for $1,500 to $2,000. Investigation showed that he sold fake school certificates to more than 10 students and earned about $5,000 to $8,000.

Xu Changqing had been fined a total of $12,000; Xu Rui, $6,000 and He, $5,000.

Wang could have been jailed for up to four years and/or fined on each charge.

 

[Vultan]

Fined for taking $1m cash out of Singapore

Khushwant Singh
The Straits Times
Sunday, Dec 29, 2013

SINGAPORE - You could say that Chinese businessman Zhang Jie was on a roll when he stepped into the Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) casino in October. After three days, he emerged with a staggering $4.6 million in winnings.

Rushing to catch a flight to Thailand on the afternoon of Oct 9 for a business meeting, the 45-year-old stuffed nearly $1 million in cash into two bags and headed directly to Changi Airport from the casino. That was when his luck ran out.

Zhang was arrested at about 3pm in Terminal 1, after an airport security officer found $933,870 in Singapore currency and NT$10,000 (S$420) in the two bags he had with him. The money was seized from him.

Under the law, those entering or leaving Singapore with more than $30,000 must declare it to the authorities.

On Thursday, Zhang was fined $20,000 for the crime. He could have been fined up to $50,000 or jailed for up to three years.

Asking for no jail term to be imposed, defence counsel Chandrayogan Yogarajah said that his client, a frequent visitor to Singapore for the past 10 years, was unaware of the regulations.

"He made no effort to conceal the money," said the lawyer, who added that the Chinese national was a man of good character.

But Deputy Public Prosecutor Hon Yi told the court that RWS casino employees had reminded Zhang to heed the regulations on the movement of currency.

In imposing the fine, District Judge Lee Poh Choo noted that such currency restrictions are common in many countries and Zhang had to be aware of these regulations.

Zhang paid the fine on Thursday and the money seized from him was ordered to be returned.

[email protected]

 

[Vultan]

Technician jailed for taking upskirt video of woman on MRT escalator

Published on Dec 30, 2013
By Elena Chong

A technician who took an upskirt video of a woman on an MRT escalator was jailed for five weeks on Monday.

Victor Soliman Gotengco Jr, 33, a Filipino, admitted to intruding into the privacy of the 22-year-old accounts executive at Yishun MRT station on Aug 22 this year. A court heard that Gotengco Jr was travelling on the escalator at the Yishun MRT station to the train platform when he took his out his iPhone, activated the video recording mode and walked up to the woman who was a few steps ahead of him. The woman, dressed in a top and skirt, was going to meet her boyfriend who was at the platform.

Gotengco Jr positioned the phone underneath the victim's skirt to capture a video recording. Her boyfriend, who had been observing her as she entered the train station through the gantry and took the escalator, saw what Gotengco Jr did and confronted him. Gotengco Jr kept his phone and tried to enter a train at the platform but was detained. The boyfriend sought help from SMRT staff to call the police.

Four other similar charges of insulting the modesty of unknown women were considered during his sentencing. He could have been jailed for up to one year and/or fined for the offence.

 

[Vultan]

Bus driver charged with causing death and injuring another

Published on Dec 30, 2013

The scene of a road accident involving SMRT bus service 700A which overturned on July 21, 2013. An SMRT bus driver was charged on Monday with causing the death of a passenger and injuring another in an accident which occurred in July this year. -- ST FILE PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW

By Elena Chong

An SMRT bus driver was charged on Monday with causing the death of a passenger and injuring another in an accident which occurred in July this year.

Zhang Kun, 39, is accused of causing the death of Malaysian Sasikumar Gunasakaran, 19, by doing a rash act along the slip road of Bukit Timah Expressway into Dairy Farm Road at about 8.55am on July 21. He allegedly drove at 78kmh when the speed limit imposed was 50kmh. While negotiating a sharp left bend, he lost control of the 700A bus which veered perpendicularly across the road and crossed over the centre divider before hitting a concrete barrier and toppled over.

The second charge states that he caused hurt to the other passenger, Mr Ramanand Panday, 50, by doing an act so rashly as to endanger life. Mr Sasikumar was found crushed between seats at the front part of the bus. His body had to be extricated by Singapore Civil Defence Force officers.

Zhang, who is represented by Mr M. Ravi, will appear in court again on Jan 27. If convicted of causing death by a rash act, he could be jailed for up to five years and/or fined. Causing hurt by doing a rash act is punishable with up to one year in jail and/or a fine of up to $5,000.

 

[Vultan]

Man jailed four months for punching ex-lover

Published on Jan 02, 2014
By Elena Chong

A delivery driver was jailed for four months on Thursday for attacking his ex-lover who tried to break off with him.

Jiang Xiaolong, 37, pleaded guilty to punching Ms Zhang Hong, 44, on her lower cheek, grabbing her neck, hitting her head and stepping on her chest at the staircase landing of an HDB block at Jurong West Street 65 on Oct 14 last year.

The court heard that they had met online, and entered into a relationship. Both are Chinese nationals and married.

Later, when the victim, a housewife, tried to break up with him, he refused.

Get the full story from The Straits Times.

 

[Vultan]

Two China nationals jailed for stealing from donation boxes at a temple and mosque

Published on Jan 03, 2014
By Elena Chong

Two men from China were jailed on Friday for stealing cash from a temple's donation box.

Qin Chaofan, 37, and Qin Zhipu, 31, admitted to stealing $500 from the donation box of Cheng Hong Siang Tng Temple at Arumugam Road on Nov 26 last year. A similar charge involving $38 stolen from the temple two days earlier was considered during sentencing.

Chaofan was sentenced to six months' jail while Zhipu was jailed for nine months after pleading guilty to another of theft of $70 from the donation box at Sultan Mosque on Aug 29 last year. The Sultan Mosque offence was committed with Wei Jia, who has not been charged.

A court heard that the two natives from Guangxi heard that it was easy to steal from donation boxes in religious places of worship in Singapore and had hatched the plan to steal in their hometown. They were staying in a hotel in Geylang when they made their way by cab to the temple off Paya Lebar Road in a taxi.

Get the full story from The Straits Times.

 

[Vultan]

Vietnamese woman charged with selling fake Hermes bag

Published on Jan 03, 2014
By Elena Chong

A Vietnamese national was charged on Friday with cheating by selling a counterfeit Hermes bag for about $20,000.

Nguyen Phuong Bao Ngoc, 24, allegedly deceived Ms Arlene Darusman into believing that the bag she sold to her was real and got her to pay US$15,800 (S$20,038) for it.

The alleged offence occurred at Starbucks at Changi Airport Terminal 1 departure hall on Nov 4 last year.

Bail of $30,000 was offered. She will be back in court on Jan 17. The maximum punishment for cheating is 10 years' jail and a fine.

 

[Vultan]

Updated: 01/13/2014 14:07 | By Channel NewsAsia

Two jailed for housebreaking spree

SINGAPORE: Two Chinese nationals were on Monday jailed by a district court for a spate of housebreaking offences that dated back to 2007.

Liu Qiangde, 32, was jailed seven-and-a-half years for the crimes while his friend, Chen Yuncai, 33, was jailed five-and-a-half years.

The court heard that the men were caught in October last year during an ambush operation by the police, following reports of multiple break-ins at private residential estates around the island.

DNA samples taken from Liu linked him to several home break-ins in 2007 and 2009, while Chen's DNA samples linked him to other similar incidents in 2009.

The court also heard that both men came to Singapore intending to commit housebreaking.

Chen had noticed on a previous visit that the perimeter walls of landed properties in Singapore were lower compared to those in China, and had presumed that the properties here were easier to break into.

The men were aware of each other's housebreaking sprees, and on at least one occasion had met up before going their separate ways to commit the crimes.

Liu had even handed some stolen items to Chen for safekeeping.

The men would strike mostly at night or in the early hours of the morning.

In total, the two men were involved in 23 cases of housebreaking involving $119,003 of stolen property.

The items they took included branded watches and handbags, electronics such as iPads and laptops, as well as cash.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Benny Tan pointed out that the break-ins had been premeditated, noting that the men had come to Singapore with the intent of committing the crimes.

He also highlighted the high value of the items stolen, and urged the court not to treat both men as first-time offenders as they had committed similar offences before, although they had not been caught.

In mitigation, Liu said he committed the crimes because of a failed business, and that he had to provide for a school-going child.

Liu was working as a hawker back in China.

Chen said he was remorseful about what he had done.

In meting out the sentence, District Judge Eddy Tham called their crimes "appalling" and said they warranted a severe and deterrent sentence. - CNA/nd/gn