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[khunking]

Sunset romance gone wrong

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=10 width=620><TBODY><TR><TD>The Electric New Paper :</TD></TR><TR><TD class=font12>Batam murder: S'pore man found dead with stab wounds</TD></TR><TR><TD>Did wife stop people from helping hubby?</TD></TR><TR><TD>While he was asleep, someone entered the bedroom and stabbed him in his right abdomen with a kitchen knife. </TD></TR><TR><TD class=font12><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" align=left><TBODY><TR><TD class=font12w>By Amanda Yong and Lediati Tan</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=font12>14 January 2010</TD></TR><TR><TD class=font12>
While he was asleep, someone entered the bedroom and stabbed him in his right abdomen with a kitchen knife.
Singaporean Low Shu Yong, 60, lay dying and in pain, his cries for help in vain, for six hours.
Then his assailant returned to stab him a second time in his left abdomen.
The fish trader was found dead in his home in Batuaji on Batam island on Sunday morning. Batam police have arrested Mr Low's Indonesian wife, Sri Wahyuni, 35, in connection with his death. She told police earlier that her husband had committed suicide, but when investigations found that he did not kill himself, she reportedly confessed to the crime.


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[khunking]

Cops arrest drug trafficker

Drugs seized included 3.3kg of heroin with a street value of more than RM500,000. -The Star/ANN

Thu, Jan 14, 2010
The Star/Asia News Network

JOHOR BARU: Police have busted a local drug-trafficking syndicate with the arrest of a 31-year-old man who used to work as a chef in Singapore.
Acting on a tip-off, a state narcotics unit raided a house in Taman Desa Tebrau at about 11.30pm on Jan 7 and nabbed the man. The team seized drugs, including 3.3kg of heroin with a street value of more than RM500,000.
Johor deputy narcotics chief Supt Giam Kar Hoon said the suspect had been operating for more than five months.
"We believe he supplied the drugs in the city, including to entertainment outlets.
"We are also not ruling out the possibility that the syndicate' s mastermind is a Singaporean," he said at a press conference here yesterday.
Supt Giam added that police are expected to arrest more syndicate members in the next few weeks.
"The suspect tested positive for syabu and was arrested for drug-related offences in 2004. He has been remanded to weed out more syndicate members," he said.
Supt Giam also said that police seized more than RM35.9mil worth of drugs last year and arrested 522 suspected traffickers.
He thanked the public for their cooperation and urged anyone with information to contact the police hotline at 07-221 2999 or the nearest police station.
-The Star/Asia News Network

 

[General Veers]

China worker accused of stabbing friend over overtime spat

China worker accused of stabbing friend over overtime spat
13 Jan 2010

Source: The New Paper

HE WAS fuming after being denied overtime work by his boss while his colleague was allowed to do so.

His anger escalated to murderous rage the next day and he stabbed his colleague to death in the flat in which they both lived.

He then went to his workplace where he attacked his supervisor with a hammer, smashed computers and other equipment and tried to set the premises on fire.

That is the string of violent acts that Luo Faming, 37, is accused of carrying out.

The prosecution delivered its opening address in Luo’s murder trial yesterday.

The Chinese national is accused of killing his friend, Mr Gong Hui Long, 27, in their rented flat in Block 94, Henderson Road, on 4 Sep 2008.

He is also accused of using a hammer to hit Madam Ng Sin Lai, 57, on her head several times and trying to strangle her.

Madam Ng lost consciousness and Luo allegedly poured thinner on the factory premises and set it alight.

He also allegedly used a hammer to smash nine computer monitors and other equipment, causing damage of about $250,000.

Fortunately, Madam Ng regained consciousness in time and escaped from the fire.

The court was told that Luo and Mr Gong hailed from the same province in China and knew each other before they arrived in Singapore in February 2007.

They worked for the same printing and publishing company here but were assigned different duties.

Luo did lamination work while Mr Gong was given printing work.

They used to share a room but later lived in different rooms. Their friendship soured over a misunderstanding related to work issues.

Seated in the dock yesterday, Luo, sporting a crew cut, wore a slight frown and listened intently to a Mandarin court interpreter. He sat hunched throughout the proceedings.

His friend of about 11 years, Mr Tan Chuan Chuan, a machine operator, told the court that he received a call from Luo on the evening before the killing.

Luo told him that he had quarrelled with his boss and wanted to return to China.

The two agreed to meet at Henderson Hawker Centre that night with some other friends.

Over dinner and beer, Luo told them that he had quarrelled with his boss because of overtime work.

He was upset that Mr Gong was entitled to overtime work, but he was not.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Amarjit Singh earlier told the court that Luo and Mr Gong had a scuffle at work around 5pm that day.

Luo’s supervisor tried to intervene “but was unable to stop the quarrel”.

Mr Tan said through a Mandarin interpreter: “(Luo) said he was unhappy at work and couldn’t get along with the deceased.

“He said the deceased was very petty and liked to report to the boss unnecessarily.”

Luo also told his friends that when he had a conflict with Mr Gong in the office, the latter pointed his finger at Luo’s head.

Said Mr Tan: “(Luo) was very angry. He said that nobody had done that to him before. The incident made him particularly angry.”

He said that Luo’s “emotional state” was “abnormal” that night.

He spoke loudly, looked very angry and “was behaving very emotionally”.

“His eyes were red, I believe he cried,” said Mr Tan.

He added that he had never seen Luo so upset before and was afraid that his friend would “do something silly”.

Mr Tan was so worried by Luo’s behaviour that he called the latter’s brother-in-law, who arrived at the hawker centre about 20 minutes
later.

The group tried to console Luo and advised him not to be impulsive.

Mr Tan said he left the hawker centre around 11pm, leaving Luo there with their friends.

At 7.45am the next morning, he called Luo and asked him where he was.

Mr Tan said Luo told him: “You don’t need to bother. I’ve already got rid of two people.”

Luo then hung up.

Mr Tan added that Luo was under a lot of pressure because he needed money to build his house in China. It is understood that Luo has a wife and a child in China.

Four of Luo’s flatmates, all of whom are Chinese nationals, also took the stand yesterday.

Two of them testified that they smelt alcohol in Luo’s breath when he returned to the flat late at night on 3 Sep.

Three testified that they were woken up by shouts around 6am the next day.

Mr Liang Yu Liang, who works at a restaurant, said he saw someone pin down Mr Gong with his left hand and move his right hand in a back-and-forth motion several times at Mr Gong.

Thinking that the two were fighting, Mr Liang shouted “enough” to them in Mandarin. He then went to the toilet.

When he came out, he saw Luo leaving the flat. Mr Gong was lying motionless in a pool of blood on the bedroom floor.

Mr Zhang Qi, who shared a room with Luo, testified that Luo and Mr Gong were not on good terms and did not speak to each other in the flat.

He recalled an incident in 2007 where the two had a heated argument.

Mr Zhang, a baker, also heard from a female flatmate that Luo had problems with Mr Gong at work and that Luo’s boss intended to send him back to China.

Luo, who is represented by Mr Anand Nalachandran and Mr Jansen Lim, faces the death penalty if he is convicted of murder.

The trial has been adjourned to May.

 

[khunking]

Unruly passenger fined $15k

Singapore
Home > Breaking News > Singapore > Story
Jan 18, 2010

Unruly passenger fined $15k

<!-- by line --> By Elena Chong, Courts Correspondent
<!-- end by line -->
<!-- end left side bar --> <!-- story content : start --> AN UNRULY passenger who created a scene on board a Singapore Airlines flight last month was fined a total of $15,000 on Monday. Vadim Beljanin's disorderly behaviour on board the SQ flight from Frankfurt to Singapore on Dec 23 caused the plane to make an unscheduled landing in Dubai Airport. The 41-year-old Estonian seaman and ship engineer, who pleaded guilty earlier to intoxication and imperilling safety of aircraft, had tried to kiss a passenger seated beside him and push the seat infront of him. When told to behave, he started punching the LCD monitor of the in-flight entertainment system. An air steward grabbed his hand and warned him not to do it. After a while, Beljanin turned disorderly again by punching the seat infront of him repeatedly until his fist bled. He also tried to punch an air steward who took him to the toilet to clean up his wounds. At one point, he had to be restrained until he calmed down. Bit not for long. He became agitated again and threw a punch and hit Mr Sim Yew Tiong, 47, on his face. The plane was diverted to Dubai where Beljanin was off-loaded.

 

[khunking]

3 arrested for car smuggling

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2010/01/21

JOHOR BARU: Three men, believed to be involved in a spate of robberies and break-ins in Bandar Seri Alam here, were arrested at a hotel in Taman Majidee on Jan 16.
Seri Alam police chief Superintendent Roslan Zainuddin said the three, aged between 30 and 40, were also being investigated over smuggling of cars from Singapore.

Checks revealed that one of the cars driven by the suspects, a Proton Gen 2, was reportedly stolen on Oct 30, last year.

Roslan said two Hyundai Sonatas, driven by the other two suspects bore Singapore registration plates that were due for de-registration as their certificates of entitlement had expired.

It is believed that the cars had been smuggled into the country.

Roslan said police were liaising with their counterparts in Singapore on the matter.
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[khunking]

3 Malaysian drug smugglers nabbed at Woodlands Checkpoint

3 Malaysian drug smugglers nabbed at Woodlands Checkpoint

Posted: 22 January 2010 2026 hrs

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SINGAPORE: Narcotics officers have nabbed three men for trying to smuggle in drugs across the Woodlands Checkpoint.

The incident happened at about 10.40pm on Thursday.

Also seized were about one kilogramme of ketamine, 700 grammes of heroin and 50 grammes of Ice - with a total street value of more than S$162,000.

All three suspects are Malaysians. If convicted, they may face the death penalty.

- CNA/sc
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[General Veers]

Molester gets jail and caning

Singapore
Home > Breaking News > Singapore > Story
Jan 28, 2010

Molester gets jail and caning

<!-- by line --> By Elena Chong
<!-- end left side bar --> <!-- story content : start -->
A MAN was given the maximum two years' jail and six strokes of the cane on Thursday for molesting a boy. Terence Thaver, 44, admitted to kissing the eight-year-old boy at an activity centre in the city area between May and June 2008. As a manager there, his duties included supervising the staff of the centre and programmes. Thaver, the court heard, committed the offence within a year of his release from an eight-year and 24-stroke sentence for outraging the modesty of four primary schoolgirls. He was sentenced for those offences in 2001.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Terence Chua told District Judge Thian Yee Sze that the boy frequented the centre while his mother worked nearby. Thaver, he said, had been instructed by the chairman of the centre, run by a church, not to interact with children without supervision. Investigation showed that on one evening sometime in May or June 2008, Thaver took the victim to his office, locked the door and turned off the light. There he hugged and kissed the victim and told him not to tell anybody about what happened. He then gave him sweets.

 

[khunking]

Another Committee?

Police investigations reveal Dr Ionescu was driver of car that hit 3 people in December 2009

By Shaffiq Alkhatib, Channel NewsAsia |
Posted: 27 January 2010 1430 hrs


File picture of Singapore policemen

SINGAPORE: Police investigations have revealed that Romanian diplomat, Dr Silviu Ionescu, was the driver of a car that was involved in a hit-and-run accident on December 15 last year.

The accident resulted in the death of 30-year-old Singapore permanent resident, Tong Kok Wai, and injured two others.

Deputy Principal Senior State Counsel Lau Wing Yum told the Coroner's Court on Wednesday that the state will "lead evidence that 49-year-old Dr Ionescu is criminally concerned in causing Mr Tong's death".

The court heard that the car from the Romanian Embassy hit Mr Tong and another pedestrian, 24-year-old Bong Hwee Haw, as they were crossing the road at a traffic junction of Bukit Panjang Road and Bangkit Road, at around 3.10am on December 15.

Instead of stopping, the car sped off. It hit 18-year-old Muhammad Haris Abu Talib at the next controlled junction.

Mr Lau told the State Coroner Victor Yeo that the traffic lights were in favour of the pedestrians in both instances.

Mr Lau also said that Dr Ionescu made a 999 call about 30 minutes after the accidents to report that the car, a black Audi, had been stolen. Police investigations, however, revealed that the car wasn't stolen.

The vehicle was recovered at around 11am that day, locked and abandoned at 21 Sungei Kadut Avenue.

Mr Lau said the right side of the car front windscreen was smashed. The front bonnet and the driver's door were dented.

Dr Ionescu left Singapore for Romania on December 18 - as he said that he was seeking treatment for health problems.

All three pedestrians who were involved in the accidents were sent to the National University Hospital.

However, Mr Tong, who suffered fractures to his right leg and skull, succumbed to his injuries and died on Christmas Day - 10 days after the accident. His widow, Yenny Young, has engaged prominent criminal lawyer, Subhas Anandan.

Mr Bong has engaged a team led by N Srinivasan from Hoh Law Corporation. He wants to be compensated for the injuries he sustained.

Mr Srinivasan told reporters that his client, who has already returned to Sarawak, incurred hospital bills amounting to nearly S$50,000.

The pre-inquiry conference for this case will be held on February 24.

The coroner's inquiry will begin on March 3. At least 35 witnesses will be called at the inquiry.

 

[Shin Orochi]

Singapore
Home > Breaking News > Singapore > Story
Jan 29, 2010

84 nabbed in forest raids

<!-- by line --> <!-- end by line --> <!-- end left side bar -->

The suspects - 67 men and 17 women - are believed to have used the cover of the forest for various illicit activities such as vice and gambling. -- PHOTOS: SPF

The suspects of various nationalities include Thais, Chinese, Bangladeshis and Myanmese.

<!-- story content : start --> EIGHTY-FOUR foreigners were arrested in the forested areas along Yishun Avenue 6 in a joint operation carried out by the police and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Wednesday. The suspects - 67 men and 17 women - are believed to have used the cover of the forest for various illicit activities such as vice and gambling. Officers from the Ang Mo Kio Police Division, Criminal Investigation Department, Gurkha Contingent and the ICA raided the forested areas - designed a protected zone - on Monday morning. The suspects of various nationalities include Thais, Chinese, Bangladeshis and Myanmese.

Commander of Ang Mo Kio Police Division HQ, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police Hsu Sin Yun, said of the successful operation: 'We will not tolerate any form of criminal activity. Operators who think they can get away with their illicit activities by operating under the cover of forested areas are sadly mistaken. 'The Police will come down hard on such activities and weed them out wherever they may be.' Investigations are currently ongoing Offenders who contravened the Protected Areas and Protected Places Act can be fined $1,000 or face up to two years jail or imprisonment or both.

 

[Tadakatsu Honda]

Duo jailed for dud $10k notes

Singapore
Feb 10, 2010

Duo jailed for dud $10k notes

<!-- by line --> By Elena Chong, Courts Correspondent
<!-- end by line -->
TWO Indonesians were each jailed for nine years on Wednesday for using and possessing fake $10,000 currency notes. Akhmad Zamroni, 41, a free-lance consultant, and Jerry Ribelard Bollu Eoh, 53, unemployed, pleaded guilty to using as genuine a counterfeit $10,000 at the Mustafa Centre in exchange for smaller denomination on Oct 27 last year. They also admitted to having 60 pieces of fake $10,000 currency notes, intending to use them as genuine, the same day.

The court heard that both men conspired with others in Indonesia to exchange fake $10,000 notes in Singapore for other currency, and share the proceeds. Akhmad was given a total of 91 pieces of counterfeit notes by one Bayu in Indonesia and tasked to bring them over and have them exchanged. Jerry was assigned to follow him to Singapore and assist to carry out the exchange. But the moneychanger at Mustafa suspected the note to be a fake and reported to his supevisor. The police were called.

 

[Shin Orochi]

Singapore
Feb 11, 2010

Man jailed for air rage

<!-- by line --> By Elena Chong, Court Correspondent

A DRUNK businessman who kicked a Qantas Airlines customer service supervisor as the plane was landing was sentenced to four weeks' jail on Thursday. Jeswan Gupta Ramjee Teli, 45, who admitted to causing hurt to Mr Mark Heatley, 43, was fined $800 for behaving in a drunk manner in the economy class cabin of the flight from Perth to Singapore on Sept 5, 2008. He is appealing against his jail sentence. Bail of $8,000 was offered. The court heard that Jeswan had had four small bottles of wine when Mr Heatley refused his request for another. Enraged, Jeswan pushed and abused the victim, who managed to calm him down with the help of his colleagues. Over the next 20 minutes, Jeswan demanded for wine five times. As the plane was about to land, he walked up to Mr Heatley's seat and the latter told him several times to return to his seat. Jeswan refused, pulled the victim, grabbed his right shoulder and kicked him on his throat with his right shin. Jeswan has paid $6,000 to Mr Heatley who has forgiven him.

 

[Ginchiyo Tachibana]

Singapore
Feb 15, 2010

Accident kills foreign worker

By Maria Almenoar <!-- by line -->

A FOREIGN worker died after a lorry driver apparently lost control of his vehicle and ploughed into three pedestrians at a dormitory in Toh Guan Road East early Monday morning. The driver, a 36-year-old Indian national, is now under arrest for suspected drink-driving. The police said the accident happened shortly after 1am as the lorry was turning round the bend on the road. It mounted a kerb, hit a fire hydrant and narrowly missed a tree before slamming into the pedestrians and the Westlite Dormitory's compound wall and fence. <!-- end by line -->

The dead man, 25, was a resident at the dormitory and worked at Mun Siong Engineering. The dormitory, which has 4,000 workers, is one of several places where foreign workers are housed in the area. His name was not disclosed as his family has not been informed. He was trapped under the lorry and had to be extricated by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) using hydraulic spreaders.

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

 

[Ginchiyo Tachibana]

Taxi stomping : Vietcong arrested for disorderly behaviour

Singapore
Feb 17, 2010

Taxi stomping: woman held

<!-- by line --> By Jennani Durai
<!-- end by line -->
<!-- end left side bar --> <!-- story content : start --> POLICE have arrested a 19-year-old Vietnamese woman who climbed on top of a taxi and jumped on its roof, while screaming and kicking its advertisement board, for almost an hour yesterday. Residents of an HDB block overlooking Hougang Avenue 9 said they awoke to the bizarre scene outside their windows, which took place at about 8am. 'I woke up to what I thought was noise from some construction, but I looked down to see this young woman stomping on the top of a taxi. She seemed hysterical,' said an eyewitness who lives on the 10th floor of the block, who gave his name only as Mr Letchumanan. Police said they received a call at 8.45am yesterday, and arrived to find the woman still on top of the CityCab taxi.

She was arrested for disorderly behaviour. The cabby did not want to be interviewed, but said in his statement to the police that the woman had flagged down his taxi and then climbed on top of it when he stopped his vehicle. Eyewitnesses said the woman was screaming in Mandarin but they could not make out what she was saying. She was seen jumping on the cab's roof and kicking its advertisement signboard until it broke. Mrs Joanna Ho, 33, who watched the incident from her flat on the block's 15th floor, said the woman climbed down at one point and quarrelled with the taxi driver. She then lay down in the middle of the road, causing a traffic build-up, and chased after a car before climbing on top of the taxi again.

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

 

[Ginchiyo Tachibana]

Singapore
Feb 17, 2010

8 face casino-linked offences

<!-- by line --> By Elena Chong
<!-- end by line -->
<!-- end left side bar --> <!-- story content : start --> EIGHT people have landed in trouble within the first three days of the Resorts World Sentosa casino opening. Two Mongolians were arrested on Monday at the casino entrance at Resorts World Sentosa for cheating by impersonation. The pair, aged 45 and 18, are released on police bail and investigations are ongoing. The younger Mongolian, who is studying in a private school here, had allegedly used the passport of the 45-year-old's son to enter the casino as he is underage. Meanwhile, five others, including Singaporeans and permanent residents, have been caught for trying to sneak into the casino without paying the $100 levy on Sunday - the first day the casino was opened to the public. The day levy is $100 and the annual fee is $2,000. Separately, an Indonesian gambler who claimed he lost all his money at the RWS casino, stole a mobile phone from an undergraduate at Changi Airport. Paulus Djohar, 49, unemployed, was jailed for four weeks on Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to the charge.

 

[Ginchiyo Tachibana]

Indonesian stole after casino losses

Singapore
Feb 17, 2010

Man stole after casino losses

<!-- by line --> By Elena Chong
<!-- end by line -->
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An unemployed man came here from Malaysia last Tuesday with the intention of patronising the newly-opened casino at RWS. As he lost all his money gambling at the casino he decided to steal from passengers at Changi Airport. -- ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN

<!-- story content : start --> AN INDONESIAN man who lost all his money at the Resorts World Sentosa casino stole a mobile phone from an undergraduate at Changi Airport. Paulus Djohar, 49, unemployed, was jailed for four weeks on Wednesday after pleading guilty to stealing a $500 phone from Ms Lim Tse Min at Terminal 1 on Tuesday. A court heard that he came here from Malaysia last Tuesday with the intention of patronising the newly-opened casino at RWS. As he lost all his money gambling at the casino on Monday, the second day of its opening, he decided to steal from passengers at Changi Airport. Early on Tuesday morning, Djohar was at the airport when he approached Ms Lim, who was with a group sending a friend off. One of them in the group saw his suspicious movements and alerted Ms Lim, who discovered the phone gone from the side pocket of her backpack. She and the witness confronted Djohar. Djohar, who said he regretted what he had done, could have been jailed for up to three years and/or fined.

 

[Ginchiyo Tachibana]

PRC bribes, offered sex to poodle for tip-offs

Singapore
Feb 17, 2010

Bribes, sex for tip-offs

<!-- by line --> By Khushwant Singh

SHE cultivated the friendship of a police officer and then tempted him with cash and sex in exchange for his tip-offs on anti-vice raids. Zhong Xiaopin, 36, who operated the Tien Zi Beauty & Spa massage parlour in Block 445 Clementi Avenue 3, handed $7,000 in bribes to Senior Staff Sergeant Ong Thiam Hock, 35, between May and July 2008. During this period, she had sex with the 35-year-old cop on five occasions in hotel rooms in Joo Chiat or in his car at a West Coast Road car park. She pleaded guilty on Wednesday in a District court and was jailed for 2 1/2 years - the same sentence meted out to Ong last July. She could have to serve an additional four months for providing a false address on her application to extend her social visit pass in October 2005.

 

[Tadakatsu Honda]

On trial for transvestite's death

Singapore
Feb 18, 2010

On trial for transvestite's death

<!-- by line --> By Selina Lum
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Astro (centre) being led back in June 2008 to the flat where Mr Abdul Khalid's body was found. Prosecutors said yesterday that Mr Abdul Khalid and Astro had been captured on surveillance camera leaving his workplace together on the night of June 19. -- SHIN MIN FILE PHOTO

A 28-YEAR-OLD Malaysian went on trial yesterday for the murder of a 61-year-old transvestite, nearly two years after the cleaner was found dead in his Ang Mo Kio flat. The dead man's supervisor described the accused, Astro Jakaria, as his subordinate's lover. This was disputed by Astro's lawyer. The Sabahan is accused of strangling Mr Abdul Khalid Othman some time between June 19 and 21 in 2008. Yesterday, one of Mr Abdul Khalid's neighbours testified that she saw Astro on the night of June 19. Two others said they heard the cleaner scream. They also told the court that Mr Abdul Khalid was usually dressed in a baju kurung, headscarf and high-heeled shoes. He shared the rental flat with another transvestite and a woman.

Read the full story in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.
[email protected]

 

[khunking]

It already happened, lets move on.

News @ AsiaOne

Let Romania deal with diplomat
S'pore wants to avoid putting him through trial by media. -myp

Tue, Feb 23, 2010
my paper

By Rachel Chan

SINGAPORE will rely on the Romanian government to deal with its former charge d'affaires in Singapore, and avoid putting him through trial by media, said Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo in Parliament yesterday.

Dr Silviu Ionescu was allegedly behind the wheel of a Romanian Embassy-owned car that mowed down three people in two hit-and-run accidents last December. One of them, Mr Tong Kok Wai, died, while the other two were injured.

Dr Ionescu returned to Romania after the incident.

Mr Yeo said: "I can fully understand the outrage many Singaporeans feel over the hit-andrun accidents and the tragic death of Mr Tong.

"However, we should never do anything that is not in keeping with due legal process nor descend into trial by media, otherwise we would weaken our own case."

A coroner's inquiry into the accidents will be conducted from next Wednesday to March 10.

In reply to Nominated Member of Parliament Calvin Cheng's question on what the Government would do to ensure that investigations would continue, Mr Yeo said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has issued a diplomatic note formally requesting Dr Ionescu's return to attend the inquiry as an "interested person", but the Government "cannot force him".

MFA has also asked Mr Aurelian Neagu, Romania's ambassador to Singapore, if the country could give the Singapore Government an undertaking that Dr Ionescu would be prosecuted and, if found guilty, be sentenced to a criminal penalty that is commensurate with his actions, said Mr Yeo.

He said: "We were assured by Ambassador Neagu that Romania would follow the full extent of its own law."

The Romanian Prosecutor's Office is investigating Dr Ionescu on charges of "manslaughter, unauthorised departure from a vehicle accident site, and misrepresentation", Mr Yeo said.

MFA has formally asked the Romanian Embassy to waive the immunity of its driver, Mr Marius Trusca, so that he can testify as a witness, but has yet to receive an offical reply.

It is seeking clarification for conflicting media reports about the waiver of Mr Trusca's immunity, and has yet to hear whether Dr Ionescu has been informed of its request.

"We trust that they will do so without undue delay," said Mr Yeo. It is in Singapore's interest to observe the privileges and immunities accorded by the Vienna Convention, because Singapore's diplomats enjoy them in foreign countries, he noted.

When Member of Parliament (Tampines GRC) Irene Ng asked whether the Romanian government's reassurances lacked sincerity, Mr Yeo replied: "I have no doubt that this matter would appear in the Romanian courts... So, there is due process in Singapore, there is due process in Romania...let us take this one step at a time and not speculate, because acting in haste or over-speculating may be injurious to our own case itself."

[email protected]

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[Tadakatsu Honda]

2 loanshark runners charged

Singapore
Feb 25, 2010

2 loanshark runners charged

<!-- by line --> By Elena Chong
<!-- end by line -->
TWO Malaysians were charged in a district court on Thursday under the amended Moneylenders Act with helping a loanshark to harass a debtor. Loh Kok Chian, 26, and Wong Kok Hiang, 29, both face mandatory caning of three to six strokes for allegedly splashing blue paint on a debtor's door and defacing the wall of a staircase landing at a block of flats in Hougang Avenue 8 on Wednesday. Parliament passed amendments to the act last month and these came into effect on Feb 11. Authorities are now given more bite to tackle the spike in illegal moneylending activities in recent years. Latest figures released by the police showed that there were 18,600 cases of unlicensed moneylending last year, a 58 per cent jump from the 11,800 cases in 2008. Loh and Wong were remanded for a week for investigation. They will be back in court on March 4. If convicted, they face a jail term of up to five years and a fine of between $5,000 and $50,000.

 

[Shin Orochi]

Singapore
Mar 9, 2010

Scot jailed for attacking cabby

<!-- by line --> By Khushwant Singh
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Jamie Rae Hislop was jailed two months after he pleaded guilty to hurting cabby Gibson Goh Kok Kiong, 46. -- ST PHOTO: MUGILAN RAJASEGARAN

AFTER some drinks in Holland Village, a British electrical engineer attacked the taxi driver driving him home to Great World City. Jamie Rae Hislop, 47, a Scot, was jailed two months on Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to hurting cabby Gibson Goh Kok Kiong, 46. His lawyer Rajan Supramiam alleged that the taxi was speeding and Rae got angry because the cabby refused to slow down. Last week, a man who admitted to neck-locking a cabby nearly causing the taxi to crash, was jailed for six weeks.

Security guard Sukhdew Singh, 54, argued over the mode of payment while the cabby was driving along the Bukit Timah Expressway in September 2008 towards Sukhdew's home in Choa Chu Kang. Sukhdew then wrapped his left forearm around the victim's neck. Mr Cha bit Singh's arm and in the struggle, the cabby lost control of the taxi, causing a lorry behind to almost hit his cab. For hurting the cabbies, Sukhdew and Rae could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined up to $5,000. Both Sukhdew and Rae are appealing and are out on bail.

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