Former Singapore Idol judge Ken Lim charged with molesting woman at Hype Records office
Ken Lim "strenuously and unequivocally" denies molesting the woman, his lawyer says.
Ken Lim Chih Chiang outside the State Courts on Mar 30, 2023. (Photo: CNA/Marcus Mark Ramos)
30 Mar 2023 09:41AM (Updated: 30 Mar 2023 12:24PM)
SINGAPORE: Music producer Ken Lim Chih Chiang, best known as a judge on reality singing competition Singapore Idol, was on Thursday (Mar 30) charged with molestation.
Lim, 58, is accused of using criminal force to touch the breast of a 25-year-old woman in his office at Hype Records at Henderson Road in the evening of Nov 23, 2021.
The victim's identity is protected by a gag order.
Lim runs Hype Records, which is a concert promoter, record label and artiste management agency.
His lawyer, Mr Navin Naidu of Dentons Rodyk, said that Lim maintains his innocence and "strenuously and unequivocally" denies the charge.
He said that Lim would not be pleading guilty, and requested urgent trial dates to be fixed.
In response, Deputy Public Prosecutor Chong Kee En said there were no special reasons for the case to be expedited.
Mr Naidu rebutted that Lim had been under investigation for more than 15 months, and reiterated that he wished for urgent trial dates to be fixed.
He was given a date to return to court for a pre-trial conference on Apr 14. Lim remains out on bail of S$10,000.
Later on Thursday morning, the court also heard Lim's application for permission to leave Singapore.
Mr Naidu said that Lim planned to travel to Phuket from May 25 to Jun 3 for a work-related trip to settle property management matters on the island.
The prosecution did not object to his application.
The judge granted Lim permission to leave Singapore with additional bail of S$10,000. He is required to provide a full itinerary for the trip, remain contactable and surrender his passport upon return.
After being a judge on Singapore Idol in the 2000s, Lim also went on to judge reality singing competition The Final 1 in 2013.
If found guilty, he faces a jail term of up to two years, a fine, or both. The punishment also includes caning, but offenders above 50 are not caned in Singapore.