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Malaysian gets 17 years' jail for robbing, raping foreign national

[FONT=&amp]SINGAPORE: Malaysian Chang Kar Meng, 27, was sentenced on Thursday (May 28) to a combined 17 years' jail and 24 strokes of the cane for robbing, making unconscious and then raping a 33-year-old foreign national.
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[FONT=&amp]Chang, a staff member at a Raffles Place cafe, had robbed the foreign national of a total of $2,210, including her gold necklace, handphone and about S$300 in cash. As the foreign national is a victim of a sex crime, she will not be named.[/FONT]
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Deputy Public Prosecutor Zhong Zewei said that the accused had seen the victim going to her block's lift landing at Paya Lebar on Mar 8, 2013, at around 1.30am.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]
The accused was on the way home after his girlfriend decided not to meet him due to a long wait to treat him at a McDonald's branch. The victim, who works as a waitress, was heading back from work. As soon as the victim waited for the lift at the landing, Chang approached the victim from behind and hit the back of her neck, making her unconscious.[/FONT]
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Chang then dragged her body to a grass patch nearby before stealing her valuables. As he was doing so, he became aroused and started fondling her breasts, before taking photographs of them.[/FONT]
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The victim was slightly conscious at that point but remained still for fear that Chang would attack her. He then proceeded to rape her before leaving her body on a discarded mattress at her block.[/FONT]
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DPP Zhong said it took investigators five-and-a-half months before tracing Chang's identity and arresting him on Aug 21, 2013, at his residence. Details of the investigations are not known.[/FONT]
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The prosecutor stated that a psychiatric report revealed Chang had the urge to rape the victim as he had not had sex with his girlfriend for a week.

Furthermore, he was not on good terms with his girlfriend and he had the intention of impregnating and leaving her.[/FONT]
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Although the report revealed Chang had suffered from depression, the prosecution argued that Chang was aware of his actions at the time of the incident.[/FONT]
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The defence, led by Sunil Sudheesan, argued that Chang's family members revealed in statements that his actions in these offences were not in line with his usual behaviour.[/FONT]
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Justice Tay sentenced Chang to 12 years' jail and 12 strokes of the cane for rape, and five years' jail and 12 strokes of the cane for voluntarily causing hurt while committing robbery.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]
A third charge, of possessing an allegedly stolen sports bra and white dress, was taken into consideration.
[/FONT]

 

[GeneralHavoc]

Singapore-based technician charged with murder of oil and gas engineer

Victim Tan Chuen Take, 31, worked in Singapore.

Photo: The Star/ Asia News Network

Norbaiti Phaharoradzi
Monday, Jul 18, 2016

JOHOR BARU - A Singapore-based technician was charged in a magistrate's court here Monday with the murder of an oil and gas engineer last month.

Wong Jian Boon, 32, from Alor Setar, just nodded after the charge was read to him in Chinese.

No plea was recorded.

Wong, who resides in Kulai, was charged with murdering Tan Chuen Take, 31, between 8pm and 11.30pm at 2759 Jalan Cempaka 36/17, Jalan Indahpura, Kulai on June 22.

He was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.

See also: Couple held over murder, love triangle suspected

Magistrate Noor Aisyah Ahmad fixed Aug 29 for mention while waiting for the post-mortem report.

DPP Siti Asmah Zainal Ariffin prosecuted the case while Wong was presented by Muhammad Ashraff Mohd Diah.

Meanwhile, state CID chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat said a 22-year-old woman who had also been remanded in the case was released on bail on Monday.

He said that the woman was granted bail as she would be a witness in the case.

According to The Star, oil and gas engineer Tan, who also worked in Singapore and resided in Taman Dato Chellam in Ulu Tiram here, had tried to court someone else's girlfriend, leading to his tragic death.

He had reportedly gone missing on June 26, a day after he was last seen, via his residential area's closed circuit television (CCTV) footage, leaving his house at around 5pm.

 

[GeneralHavoc]

Four arrested for fraudulent possession of marine gas oil

Four men have been arrested by the Police Coast Guard for fraudulent possession of marine gas oil.

Published 9 hours ago
Amanda Wong

Four men, aged between 26 and 40, have been arrested by the Police Coast Guard for fraudulent possession of marine gas oil.

A statement released by the Singapore Police Force on Tuesday (July 19) said that officers had checked on a foreign registered tug boat at the sea off northern Tuas at about 4pm on July 18.

During the check, approximately 25 metric tons of marine gas oil was found hidden in the buoyancy chambers of the tug boat.

The men were unable to provide a satisfactory account of how they had come to possess the marine gas oil.

They were arrested and the tugboat was seized for investigations.

The four men will be charged in court on July 20.

If convicted, they may be fined or jailed for up to one year, or both.

Police Coast Guard Commander Hsu Sin Yun said that the illegal transaction of marine gas oil is a serious offence and strict enforcement action will be taken against offenders.

 

[GeneralHavoc]

Man , 23, charged over DHL parcel scam

Published 1 hour ago

Accused is said to have received $30,100 stolen from a woman's bank account

Amir Hussain

A 23-year-old man was charged yesterday over his alleged involvement in a parcel scam.

Moi Chee Hou, a Malaysian, is accused of receiving $30,100 in his bank account, knowing it had been stolen by a person named "Alvin".

Police received a report on July 4 from a 32-year-old woman, who said that she had received a call from an unknown person claiming to work for DHL.

She was told that her parcel contained illegal goods and had been detained by Chinese Customs.

The call was then transferred to another person, whose number was reflected in the caller ID as "999". The man on the other line claimed to be from the police.

The woman was asked to provide her Internet banking credentials and she later discovered that about $36,000 had been transferred to an unknown bank account.

Police believe Moi has been involved in at least five other similar cases in which the victims lost a total of about $90,000.

His case will be mentioned again next month. Bail was not granted.

The maximum punishment for dishonestly receiving stolen property is five years' jail and a fine.

Last week, police arrested three men, aged between 21 and 22, for their suspected involvement in a similar parcel scam in which an elderly woman handed over $50,000. She was told that her parcel contained illegal goods and was detained by Chinese Customs.

The caller then threatened her with legal action and instructed her to transfer the money to an unknown local bank account so that the authorities would not pursue the matter.

Police managed to establish the identity of the 21-year-old suspect who withdrew the money from a bank. Officers arrested him in Ang Mo Kio Hub and the two others in Tuas on the same day.

Police urged members of the public to take precautions when they receive calls from unknown parties.

It said last month that more than $4 million had been lost by victims of phone scams since March, and more than 50 reports had been received over the same time period. In most cases, callers use the same modus operandi.

A spokesman for DHL said last month that it had received more than 200 reports a day regarding the scam. The company has filed a police report.

 

[GeneralHavoc]

Re: Nine weeks’ jail for man who molested woman on MRT train by rubbing against her


'Beer girl' fined $5k for hitting police officer

Siow hit an officer when he told her and a friend to obey the drinking ban after 10.30pm.ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW

Published 5 hours ago
Amir Hussain

A beer promotion girl who took a swing at a police officer when he told her to stop drinking was fined $5,000 by a court yesterday.

Siow Hui Lin, a Malaysian, hit an officer on the nose when he told her and a friend to put their bottles down and adhere to the new alcohol laws which restrict drinking in public after 10.30pm.

The 28-year-old had earlier pleaded guilty to one charge of using criminal force to deter a policeman from carrying out his duty.

One charge each of behaving in a disorderly manner and of consuming liquor in public during prohibited hours (10.30pm to 7am) were taken into account in sentencing.

A district court heard that Siow and her friend Susan Cheng Hwee Mui, 45, a housewife, started drinking beer together at the hawker centre at Block 75, Lorong 5 Toa Payoh, after 10pm on May 5 last year.

At about 1.30am the next day, policemen on patrol told them there should be no consumption of alcohol in public after 10.30pm under the Liquor Control Act which took effect a month earlier - on April 1.

"(Siow and Cheng) refused to comply and stated that there was no such law and kept (asking) why they could drink at other places but not there," Deputy Public Prosecutor Yang Ziliang told the court.

When a police officer firmly told them to stop drinking and to dispose of their beer bottles, Siow and Cheng continued drinking and laughing.

They also asked for more time to finish their drinks.

Another police officer again told the women to stop drinking and to dispose of their beers, but Cheng shouted at the officer: "I... never heard of such (a) law and I am Singaporean. I am not afraid. I did not do anything wrong."

Siow also raised her voice at the same officer. After several warnings were given to the women to behave themselves and calm down, the officers arrested Cheng for disorderly behaviour.

She shouted: "You have no right to arrest me. I will hire a lawyer."

Siow then became aggressive and moved towards her friend, protesting against her arrest.

Officers tried to arrest Siow, but she struggled and swung her hands towards them, hitting a sergeant on the nose bridge with her arm - leaving a bruise - while shouting: "Why you guys arrest my friend?"

The maximum punishment for using criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duties is four years' jail and a fine.

Siow is believed to be the first person to be prosecuted for consuming liquor in public during prohibited hours. She was charged in January.

Cheng received a 12-month conditional warning on Jan 15, for disorderly behaviour and for drinking in public during prohibited hours.

 

[GeneralHavoc]

Bankrupt jailed 7 years for cheating duo out of $2.4m

Published 5 hours ago
Amir Hussain

A 48-year-old unemployed trickster cheated two men, including his friend of nine years, out of a total of $2.36 million and used the money to pay off his debts to loan sharks and fund a lavish lifestyle, including renting a BMW vehicle for $300 a day.

Yesterday, Don Brendan Robert was jailed for seven years, having earlier pleaded guilty to 25 out of 450 charges of cheating. The remaining 425 counts were taken into account during sentencing.

A district court heard that in August 2011, Robert, an undischarged bankrupt, lied to his friend, Mr Alan Lye Cher Kang, 44, that he was the beneficiary of an inheritance from his late father.

Robert had met Mr Lye in 2002, when they were involved in a gold brokering business. Mr Lye is a contractor in the business of constructing, fabricating and installing aluminium and glass works.

Robert said the inheritance money had, however, been seized by the Government and was frozen by the police's Commercial Affairs Department (CAD). He lied that various processing fees and administrative charges had to be paid in order to release the supposedly frozen funds.

For the next three years, until August 2014, Robert came up with tall tales for his friend. He told Mr Lye various stories about purported dealings with several banks such as DBS, United Overseas Bank, OCBC and Citibank; government agencies such as CAD and the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore; and other entities such as the Commissioner of Oaths and insurance companies.

Robert asked his friend for help in making payments for various processing fees and administrative charges. In return, he promised Mr Lye a portion of his inheritance when it was released.

Mr Lye transferred about $175,000 to Robert until May 2012, when he ran out of money to help his friend, having already borrowed from other friends and relatives.

In June 2012, Mr Lye turned to his friend Bay Lim Piang, a 65-year-old retiree and former businessman, whom he had known since 2000.

Between that month and August 2014, Mr Lye transferred $2,182,926 - all from Mr Bay - to Robert.

Robert even told Mr Lye to tell Mr Bay, who used to be in property development, that he could manage the inheritance properties left behind by his late father. Robert also said Mr Bay would be paid a token sum, once the frozen funds were released.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhamad Imaduddien asked for a stiff sentence for "an unscrupulous trickster", noting that Robert was motivated by greed and all the money he cheated went towards paying his debts and living it up - in addition to renting the car, he rented a room from a friend in Wak Hassan Drive for $1,200 a month.

The prosecutor also noted, among other things, that Robert's crimes were premeditated and deliberate.

Robert has not paid back any money to Mr Lye or Mr Bay.

His sentence was backdated to November 2014, when he was remanded.

He could have been jailed for 10 years and fined for each cheating charge.

 

[GeneralHavoc]

Lorry driver gets jail and ban for causing death of pregnant pillion rider

Ganesan Sivasankar is appealing against his conviction, and was allowed bail of $15,000, with his passport impounded.

Published Jul 25, 2016, 5:13 pm SGT
Elena Chong
Court Correspondent

SINGAPORE - A lorry driver was jailed for 12 weeks and banned from driving for eight years on Monday (July 25) for causing the death of a pregnant pillion rider and hurt to her husband through a rash act.

Indian national Ganesan Sivasankar, 31, is appealing against his conviction. He was allowed bail of $15,000, with his passport impounded.

After an 11-day trial, he was found guilty last month of failing to give way to a motorcycle which had crashed into his lorry, and of causing the death of pillion rider Lui Yoke Leng, 28, along Woodlands Road at about 8.30am on Sept 3, 2013.

Ganesan was making a U-turn into Woodlands Road and filtering left towards the filter lane leading into Woodlands Industrial Park D Street 2 when he encroached into the path of rider Chan Kock Chong, now 30.

The motorcycle hit Ganesan's lorry.

Mr Chan, a Malaysian mechanic, had abrasions on his face, arms and legs, while his wife, also a Malaysian, died later in hospital. She was five months pregnant.

The court heard that Ganesan had woken up one hour later than usual that day and was late to pick up his workers.

The main dispute was whether the motorcycle was visible to Ganesan as it approached the U-turn point when he moved off and filtered left.

The prosecution said yes but the defence's answer was no.

In his written submissions, Deputy Public Prosecutor Yang Ziliang said the evidence showed that Mr Chan was travelling at about or below the speed limit of 60kmh.

He argued that Ganesan ought to have seen the motorcycle approaching his stationary lorry and allowed the motorcycle to pass before making his way across Woodlands Road.

Defence lawyer Tan Cheow Hung argued that Ganesan was telling the truth when he said that he had checked all the way to the bend before moving off and there was no traffic at all.

The maximum punishment for causing death by rash act is five years' jail and a fine.

For causing hurt by doing a rash act to endanger life, he could have been jailed for up to one year and/or fined up to $5,000.

 

[GeneralHavoc]

Victims lost $12m in DHL phone scam from March to June, court told

Some 150 victims have lost more than $12 million in a DHL phone scam from end-March to June, a district court heard on Thursday (July 28).

Published 6 hours ago
Elena Chong
Court Correspondent

SINGAPORE - Some 150 victims have lost more than $12 million in a DHL phone scam from end-March to June, a district court heard on Thursday (July 28).

Deputy Public Prosecutor Charis Low revealed this when the case of three Malaysians - Hiu Sheng Fatt, 21, Ooi Lun Xiang and Tee Jia Yong, both 22 - came up for mention in court. The trio were first hauled to court on July 16 to face two charges each.

The prosecution have tendered an amended charge against them.

Hiu is alleged to have been concerned in an arrangement to withdraw money from his United Overseas Bank account - sums amounting to $143,800 - which represented an unknown person's benefits from criminal conduct, having reasonable grounds to believe that by the arrangement, the control by the unknown person of his benefits of criminal conduct was facilitated.

Ooi and Tee are said to have been concerned in the arrangement to withdraw $143,800 from Hiu's UOB account on July 14, having reasonable grounds to believe that an unknown person had engaged in criminal conduct.

If convicted under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act, they could each be fined up to $500,000 and/or jailed for up to 10 years.

DPP Low said the three Malaysians came to Singapore on July 14 to withdraw monies amounting to $143,800 from Hiu's UOB bank account. These monies came from victims of what is commonly known as the "DHL phone scam".

That afternoon, sums totalling $121,900 were successfully withdrawn and the prosecution believes that these monies have been transferred out of the country.

She asked that no bail be allowed for Hiu as he is a foreigner and a flight risk.

She told District Judge Christopher Goh that this was a grave offence involving a foreign syndicate. The individuals came to Singapore for the sole purpose of committing the crime.

Between end March and end June this year, police received more than 3,000 calls and reports, of which about 155 victims have lost a total of more than $12 million.

Both Ooi and Tee were remanded for another week for investigation into their roles in the withdrawal of monies from another bank account, related to the DHL phone scam.

The case will be mentioned again on Aug 4.

 

[khunking]

D'Leedon murder: Belgian expat admits to killing 5-year-old son

[FONT=&amp]SINGAPORE: Embroiled in a fierce custody battle and afraid of losing his son, Belgian expat Philippe Graffart smothered five-year-old Keryan to death on Oct 5 last year, before attempting suicide.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]Graffart, 42, removed his seatbelt before crashing his car at full speed into a wall at about 10.40pm that night. The impact left him unconscious but alive, and he was rescued and taken to hospital.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]He was arrested in the early hours of Oct 6, after a police officer found him outside Bukit Timah police station with self-inflicted wounds and an intravenous drip still attached to his arm.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]“I have done something really bad to my son,” he confessed. Keryan was found dead in his bedroom shortly after. Graffart had arranged the boy’s body and covered him with a blanket.

“I AM SO AFRAID TO LOSE MY SON”

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[FONT=&amp]He pleaded guilty on Monday morning (Aug 1) to a reduced culpable homicide charge; he was originally charged with murder.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]The High Court heard Graffart had been suffering from major depressive disorder, which “substantially impaired his thinking process and judgement … leading to the death of his son”, a psychiatric report stated.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]Graffart had been fighting with his French wife Gwendoline over custody of Keryan in the months prior to the boy’s death, and had exchanged several e-mails with his lawyers about the case that day, Deputy Public Prosecutor Sharmila Sripathy-Shanaz said.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]“I am so tired of all this … really tired,” Graffart wrote in an e-mail to his lawyer on Oct 5, hours before he would desperately smother his son, and a day before a Family Justice Courts hearing over the boy’s custody.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]“I want to … end this nightmare. I cannot change the past but I can change the future … I am so afraid to lose my son.”

GRAFFART ATTEMPTED SUICIDE THRICE THAT NIGHT

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[FONT=&amp]At about 8.20pm, Graffart conducted two ominous Google searches – the first, on how long it would take to suffocate someone, and the second, on whether one could survive a car crash at 150kmh, DPP Sripathy-Shanaz told the court.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]The High Court heard Graffart read two bedtime stories to Keryan and let the boy take medication meant for insomnia before bed. An autopsy report later stated the boy had been “sedated or asleep” when he died at the hands of his father.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]Graffart’s charge sheet states he killed his son with a cushion between 9pm and 10.17pm on Oct 5.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]The father said he cradled his son’s body and told him he loved him and “was going to join him”. Then he left the house and crashed his car.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]Between 3.45am and 4.20am, after leaving the hospital and taking an Uber back to his home, Graffart attempted suicide twice more – but he could not bring himself to jump off his 32nd-storey balcony or stab himself with a kitchen knife.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]He then took another Uber to the police station, where he confessed.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]An autopsy report detailed several bruises found on Keryan’s face. His cause of death was “unascertained … (but) death due to suffocation … cannot be ruled out”, the report stated.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]An embassy official and Graffart’s girlfriend were present in court, but declined to comment. A friend of his wife was also present.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]For culpable homicide, Graffart could be jailed for up to 10 years and caned.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]He will be sentenced on Aug 22. He is represented by defence lawyer Ramesh Tiwary.[/FONT]

 

[GeneralHavoc]

Beautician jailed seven months for conspiracy to use fake chips at MBS

Tang Shiwei was jailed for seven months for conspiring with three others to use counterfeit chips at Marina Bay Sands.

Published Aug 1, 2016, 2:33 pm SGT
Elena Chong
Court Correspondent

SINGAPORE - A beautician was jailed for seven months on Monday (Aug 1 ) for conspiring with three others to use counterfeit chips at Marina Bay Sands (MBS).

Tang Shiwei, 26, a Chinese national and a Singapore permanent resident, faced 12 charges of exchanging fake chips with a face value of $1,000 each at the cashier counters at MBS for cash on Nov 22 last year.

She pleaded guilty to one count involving four pieces of counterfeit chips and had the remaining charges considered during her sentencing.

In all, she exchanged a total of 30 counterfeit $1,000 chips for a total of $30,000 in cash. Her total reward was $600.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Zhongshan said on Nov 22 last year, runners were recruited by a transnational counterfeit casino chip syndicate to exchange more than a thousand $1,000 denomination casino chips at MBS in Bayfront Avenue.

The runners were to first exchange a few fake chips at gaming tables for genuine ones of small denominations, and then mix the genuine chips with the remaining fake chips and exchange the chips at cashier counters for cash.

To evade detection, the runners were told not to exchange more than $5,000 worth of chips at a time.

Upon completion of the task, each runner would pass the cash received to the recruiter, and receive a sum of money as a reward.

MBS first detected the fake chips on Nov 29 last year. It immediately conducted a recall exercise for all $1,000 casino chips and reported the matter to the police.

Subsequent investigations resulted in the arrest and charging of multiple persons connected with the syndicate.

The total amount of losses suffered by MBS exceeded $1 million.

Tang's lawyer Sunil Sudheesan said in mitigation that his client has two young children, aged three and 10 months, and is married to a hairdresser.

He said Tang trusted her cousin, a 30-year-old Chinese national. He pleaded to the court to be merciful to Tang, who was crying in the dock during the mention.

Seven others - three men and four women - have been jailed between six and 22 months for similar offences.

The case against the co-conspirators is pending.

Tang could have been fined up to $150,000 and/or jailed for up to seven years.

 

[GeneralHavoc]

Man jailed for filming female flatmate in shower

Published 19 min ago

An accountant who filmed his female flatmate showering in a condominium bathroom six times last year was jailed for 16 weeks yesterday.

Shee Wee Hong, 41, an Australian and Singapore permanent resident who was unemployed at the time, admitted three of six charges of intruding upon the privacy of the 30-year-old Chinese national at the Upper Changi Road condominium.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicholas Lai Yi Shin said the offences came to light when the woman called the police on Dec 22 last year, stating that she saw someone taking a video or photo of her.

She later told police that the device she saw was a white iPhone.

Shee denied having placed any mobile phone near the bathroom when interviewed by the police, who noticed that his white iPhone was plugged into his laptop.

No video or photo of the victim was found.

However, investigations showed that he had used the iPhone to record her bathing six times.

DPP Lai said Shee would first wait for the light of the common bathroom to be turned on. He would put his hand through the window opening to film her, then upload the video onto his laptop for personal viewing.

The court heard that on Dec 22, after learning that the victim had called the police, Shee deleted the videos.

His lawyer, Mr Lam Wai Seng, said Shee was remorseful and accepts that he had done wrong.

District Judge Kamala Ponnampalam said the recordings were not simply "upskirt videos" but involved full nudity. "It was an invasion of her privacy in the sanctity of her own home," she said.

Shee, who committed the six offences between April and December last year, could have been jailed for up to one year and/fined for each charge of insulting the modesty of a woman.

Elena Chong

 

[GeneralHavoc]

Woman, 42, charged with offering $10,000 bribe to policeman to stop investigations

Zhu Kuai was charged with allegedly offering a policeman for stopping investigations into her involvement with possible crimes.

Published Aug 3, 2016, 3:15 pm SGT
Amir Hussain

SINGAPORE - A 42-year-old woman was on Wednesday (Aug 3) charged with offering a $10,000 bribe to a policeman earlier this year.

On April 14, Zhu Kuai allegedly told assistant superintendent Chan Wai Hoong at Fortune Centre that the kickback was in return for stopping investigations into her involvement in possible crimes.

According to the charge, Zhu was being probed for crimes under the Women's Charter. The law covers matrimonial and parental matters, and also covers prostitution-related crimes and trafficking of women and girls.
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The case will be mentioned again on Aug 24.

The maximum penalty for giving or offering to give any form of gratification to another person, as an inducement or reward for showing favour or disfavour in relation to the person's affairs, is a fine of up to $100,000 and jail of up to five years.

 

[GeneralHavoc]

Re: Sales exec jailed 3 years for using fake $100 notes she printed at home


Construction worker jailed two years for sex with girl, 13, who became pregnant

Vellakkanu Raja was sentenced to two years' jail on Aug 4, 2016, after admitting to three counts of sexual penetration in February, August and October last year.

Published 7 hours ago
Elena Chong
Court Correspondent

SINGAPORE - A construction worker from India had sex three times with a 13-year-old girl who became pregnant as a result and underwent an abortion.

Vellakkanu Raja, 24, was sentenced to two years' jail on Thursday (Aug 4) after admitting to three counts of sexual penetration in February, August and October last year.

Three other charges of digital penetration were taken into consideration in sentencing.

A district court heard that the Secondary 1 student was with her friend at Changi Beach while Raja was drinking beer with his friends there sometime around November or December 2014.

After their respective friends had left, she approached Raja and gave him her mobile number. He called her later that evening and they began talking.

After that, they talked regularly over the phone and met on a few occasions.

After several weeks, in January last year, she began to consider herself in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship with Raja.

Sometime around February last year, they met at Changi Village. She asked him to buy beer which they consumed at a deserted area of the beach. He had unprotected sex with her.

The following month, her 24-year-old male cousin found out about the two of them and told her mother, who confiscated the girl's phone and told her not to see Raja.

On May 28 last year, the girl ran away from home. Her mother lodged a police report the next day. She also called Raja and told him to contact her if the victim met or approached him.

Later that day, Raja met the victim in Yishun and managed to contact her cousin who came and took her home. The cousin told Raja that she was "very young'' and had a nine-year age difference with him.

The girl's mother also told Raja to stop seeing her daughter, who was still schooling. But they continued to meet.

Investigations further revealed that sometime around August and October, the two met at Punggol Waterway Park, consumed beer and had sex at a grass patch at the park.

The girl told her mother in January this year that she might be pregnant. A polyclinic confirmed that she was. She was taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital, which referred the case to the police.

A few days later, she informed Raja that the case had been referred to the police. Raja was arrested at Changi Airport on Jan 23 for trying to leave the country. The girl underwent an abortion when she was 23 weeks pregnant.

Defence counsel Shaneet Rai said it was the victim who sought out his client by giving him a missed call on his mobile phone, and initiated contact with him by calling him to meet up. He said they were in a "genuine and loving relationship''.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sruthi Boppana said the accused continued to seek out the victim despite her mother and cousin reaching out to him. She said it was utterly incredible for the defence to characterise the relationship as a case where the accused merely succumbed to the victim's advances.

Raja could have been jailed for up to 10 years and fined for each charge of sexual penetration of a minor.

 

[GeneralHavoc]

Bangladesh overstayer who molested woman in Geylang jailed 5 months

Rana Masud pleaded guilty to one charge of outrage of modesty and one count of using a forged document.

Published 11 hours ago
Amir Hussain

SINGAPORE - A 36-year-old Bangladeshi overstayer who molested a woman in a Geylang back alley was on Friday (Aug 5) jailed for five months.

Rana Masud pleaded guilty to one charge of outrage of modesty and one count of using a forged document - a Special Pass.

He also admitted to one charge of unlawfully remaining in Singapore for 13 days after the expiry of his Work Permit, and this was taken into account in sentencing.

A district court heard the 29-year-old victim had been in the back alley between Lorong 14 and Lorong 16 Geylang at about 5.30am on July 8.

While she was waiting for her 21-year-old male friend, who had gone to use the toilet, to return, she felt someone grab her left buttock.

She quickly turned and saw Masud molesting her with his right hand.

When she asked why he touched her, he replied: "Hotel? $100, $200?"

At about the same time, a passer-by who saw what happened shouted at Masud and he fled.

The victim gave chase but lost sight of him.

Later, at about 7.30am, while she was about to leave the area with her friend, the victim saw Masud walking past.

He tried to flee, but the victim and her friend managed to detain him along Lorong 12 Geylang.

A passer-by called the police.

Shortly after, when officers asked for his particulars, Masud gave a fake Special Pass with his name on it. The document showed that he was allowed to remain in Singapore between June 26 and July 11.

But a check with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority showed that his Work Pass had been cancelled on June 25 and that he had been staying unlawfully in Singapore since then.

He said he met a friend "Ramesh" on June 28, who sold him the fraudulent Special Pass for $500.

The maximum penalty for outrage of modesty is two years' jail and a fine and caning.

The maximum punishment for using a forged document is four years' jail and a fine, and for staying unlawfully in Singapore for 90 days or less, a $4,000 fine and six months' jail.

 

[GeneralHavoc]

Four men arrested at the sea off Punggol Timor for unlawful entry into Singapore

Published 7 hours ago
Yeo Sam Jo

SINGAPORE - Four men, age between 16 and 23, were arrested for unlawful entry into Singapore on Friday (Aug 5).

At about 10.30 am, the Police Coast Guard received information that the men, believed to be illegal immigrants, were onboard a barge towed by a foreign tugboat. By 11.20am, officers had located and intercepted the barge and tugboat at the sea off Punggol Timor.

The four were found without any valid travel documents and arrested.

 

[khunking]

How 13 Thais cheated MBS of $1.37 million

SINGAPORE - Thirteen Thai nationals have been convicted of cheating Marina Bay Sands (MBS) casino of $1.37 million, and were sentenced to jail sentences of between 12.75 months and 17.25 months.

Details of how they cheated the casino were revealed in a report by The Straits Times on Sunday. The judge reportedly called the case "unparalleled both in terms of sophistication and sum cheated".

The group of nine men and four women, aged 24 to 53, had collaborated to steal a playing-card carrier from a cabinet in the casino on May 6, 2013. Members of the group crowded around the area near the cabinet to conceal the theft.

They then took the carrier back to a hotel room, laid out the cards and photographed them. The cards were then packed back up without disturbing the sequence, and the carrier returned to the same cabinet.

When the carrier and cards were used in a baccarat game at a table in the casino the next day, six members of the group took part in the game - armed with the knowledge of the sequence of cards.

The newspaper report said that the group won $1,372,300 in three hours of play from about 3am on May 7, 2013.

The group did not win every hand they played, prosecutors said. Instead, they played by winning and losing, "so as not to show a pattern", the report said.

It was also revealed that the group had visited the casino weeks before the theft to test a key used to open the cabinet.

 

[GeneralHavoc]

Tenant who sublet Woodlands condo and Yishun HDB flat to prostitutes jailed and fined

Dong Bin, a tenant who rented out his condominium apartment in Woodlands to three prostitutes in April and May, was jailed for three months and fined $12,000.

Published 6 hours ago
Amir Hussain

SINGAPORE - A 26-year-old tenant from China rented out his condominium apartment in Woodlands to three prostitutes in April and May, a district court heard.

But the sex workers, also from China, refused to open the door to policemen after the condo's estate manager reported her suspicion of vice activities, forcing officers to break into the unit.

The next month, the tenant and two of the prostitutes were again nabbed in an anti-vice raid at a Yishun flat. This time, the sex workers had also overstayed in Singapore.

On Wednesday (Aug 10), the tenant, Dong Bin, was jailed for three months and fined $12,000.

He pleaded guilty to two charges of living on the earnings of a prostitute, and one count of permitting a place to be used as a brothel. Two similar charges were considered in sentencing.

Dong earned $6,300 in total from his vice-related activities.

The court heard that Dong rented a Woodsvale Condominium unit in Woodlands Drive 72 in April, knowing that it was to be used as a brothel.

A compatriot, who was known to him as Zhang Ge, had asked him to rent a home anywhere in Singapore. Zhang Ge said he would recommend prostitutes from China to Dong, so he could sublet the rooms to the sex workers for vice activities.

For each unit that he rented, Zhang promised to deduct $2,000 from Dong's debts to him. Dong was also promised at least $40 a day, if he helped Zhang to collect the rental from each prostitute.

Dong leased the Woodlands condo with his details, and the particulars of a friend. He paid $2,400 in rental, and signed an agreement with the owner and property agent.

Zhang gave him $4,800; Dong handed over the agreement and house keys to him.

Zhang rented the rooms out to the three prostitutes, aged 21, 23 and 37, for $100 day.

But on May 26, suspecting vice activities due to the number of people entering and leaving the unit, the estate manager called the police.

Three prostitutes admitted to providing sexual services and were arrested on suspicion of having breached immigration laws. Officers seized more than 100 unopened condoms, and lubricants.

Dong was also called up for investigations and was later released.

But just four days later, he rented a unit at Block 665 Yishun Avenue 4 for $2,600 a month, again at Zhang's behest.

For permitting a place to be used as a brothel, Dong could have been fined $3,000 and jailed for three years. For living on the earnings of prostitution, he could have been jailed for five years and fined $10,000.

The identity of Zhang has not been established.

 

[GeneralHavoc]

Three men charged over use of stolen credit card to buy branded watch at Paragon shop

Zheng Ding Wen,Li Aibin and Zhang Xiaobao were charged in court with taking part in a conspiracy to cheat, on Aug 10, 2016.

Published 9 hours ago
Amir Hussain

SINGAPORE - Three men from China allegedly stole a Japanese tourist's credit card and tried to use it to buy a branded watch at a Paragon boutique last Saturday (Aug 6), a court heard.

When the transaction could not go through, they promptly left the shop.

But the trio were nabbed before they could leave the country - police arrested them at Changi Airport in a four hour-long sting on Monday.

Among the $29,000 worth of items seized from them were a range of foreign currencies, wallets, belts, bags, watches and perfume.

Police believe the men are part of a pick-pocketing syndicate, which had targeted tourists and used stolen credit cards to buy various luxury goods.

On Wednesday (Aug 10), Zheng Ding Wen, 48, Li Aibin, 50, and Zhang Xiaobao, 53, were charged with taking part in a conspiracy to cheat.

They are accused of presenting a credit card that did not belong to them for the payment of an Omega watch at Watches of Switzerland at about 11am last Saturday.

As a result, a shop staff was deceived into giving them the watch.

It is not known if the men had left the shop with the watch after the card payment was unsuccessful due to a system error, or if they had returned it. The cost of the watch was not stated in their charge sheets.

According to police, a sales assistant had found their behaviour suspicious and made a report.

The staff had heard the trio talking in Mandarin with a strong Chinese accent, said the police in a statement on Tuesday.

Officers traced the card to a Japanese tourist, who only realised his wallet was missing when contacted. He made a police report.

Officers from the police's Central Division and Commercial Affairs Department conducted ground enquiries and surveillance between Saturday and Monday. The trio were then arrested at the airport between 11.45am and 1.50pm.

It is not known how many tourists Zheng, Li and Zhang had cheated, where they pickpocketed their victims, or how long they committed their crimes.

The case will be mentioned again next Wednesday.

The maximum punishment for cheating is 10 years' jail and a fine.

 

[GeneralHavoc]

Fishmonger gets 8 months' jail, cane for molesting teen

Tran Trung Van was sentenced to eight months' jail and one stroke of the cane on Aug 17, 2016.

Published 9 hours ago

SINGAPORE -Despite being rebuffed, a fishmonger persisted by grabbing the shoulder of a teenage girl again and went on to molest her, a court heard.

The 15-year-old student was walking from Woodlands bus interchange towards Woodlands MRT station at about 6pm on June 26 when she felt someone grab her right shoulder.

She shrugged the person off, and caught a glimpse of Vietnamese national Tran Trung Van, 30.

After she continued walking a few more steps, Van grabbed her shoulder again. She again shrugged his hand off.

Almost immediately, he placed his palm on her chest and molested her.

The victim was shocked. She noticed that he appeared to have an unsteady gait as he walked past her. Further investigation showed that he had consumed four cans of beer that day.

She told her mother about the incident, and the matter was reported to the police.

Van, who was arrested on July 12, was sentenced to eight months' jail and one stroke of the cane on Wednesday (Aug 17). He pleaded guilty to the offence and had another charge of molesting a 48-year-old woman half an hour later that day taken into consideration.

He could have been jailed for up to two years, fined, caned or received any combined punishment.

 

[GeneralHavoc]

Motorcyclist jailed for role in road rage incident

Published 3 hours ago
Elena Chong
Court Correspondent

A technician was jailed for three weeks yesterday after being found guilty of fighting with two men in a road rage case.

Malaysian Ruttiran Tamilarasan, 26, was convicted, after a one-day trial, of disturbing the public peace by fighting with Mr Leow Hock Guan and Mr Ng Chee Kiang at the departure lane of Woodlands Checkpoint on Dec 2 last year. The two Singaporeans were each sentenced to one week's jail last month for fighting.

During Wednesday's trial, the court heard that Mr Ng, 42, was driving Mr Leow, 41, towards Johor Baru late that night last year when they were caught in a jam.

Ruttiran's motorcycle cut into Mr Ng's path and Mr Ng honked at him. Ruttiran flashed his middle finger. Soon after, Ruttiran cut into Mr Ng's lane again. Mr Ng honked and Ruttiran responded with the same rude gesture.

When Mr Ng tried to overtake Ruttiran, Ruttiran kicked the car.

The car stopped and Mr Leow got out. Ruttiran pushed the construction supervisor before using his helmet to hit him. Mr Leow tried to block the blow and the helmet hit his head.

Mr Ng, who is self-employed, came out and there was a scuffle before a fight broke out. Ruttiran used his helmet to hit the two men. Mr Leow got hold of the helmet at one point and threw it at Ruttiran.

Motorists stepped in to separate the fighting parties, but Ruttiran persisted in trying to use his helmet to hit the two men. He also used it to hit the car.

Ruttiran said in his defence that he was confused. He claimed that Mr Ng and Mr Leow hit him on the helmet until it flew off.

A video of the incident was played in court. In mitigation, Ruttiran asked for the court's leniency and mercy, saying he is supporting his parents and siblings. He said he was sorry that he could not control his emotions.

District Judge Lee Poh Choo told him that it was an "unacceptable excuse and very lame".

He could have been jailed up to one year and fined up to $5,000.