Already facing 5 charges, lawyer Lim Tean now accused of pocketing S$5,500, not answering police questions
SINGAPORE — Lawyer and opposition party leader Lim Tean was handed two new criminal charges on Friday (Sept 23), on top of several that he already faces.
The 57-year-old — who heads the Peoples Voice political party and law firm Carson Law Chambers — was first charged in May with criminal breach of trust, stalking a former employee, and acting as a lawyer without a valid practising certificate.
He is now further accused of misappropriating S$5,500 paid by AXA Insurance as settlement monies to a person named Christianne Rameshwaran.
Court documents did not give more details, only that Lim allegedly pocketed the money on April 3 in 2020 in the course of his legal work.
He was also charged on Friday with refusing to answer questions posed to him by an officer from the police’s Commercial Affairs Department on June 10 this year.
This concerned a case involving S$50,000 that a person named Lee Peto paid to Lim around Oct 23, 2017. No other details were given in court documents about this case as well.
Lim’s case was adjourned to a pre-trial conference on Sept 23. He remains out on S$30,000 bail.
If convicted of criminal breach of trust as an attorney, he could be jailed for up to 20 years and fined. Those convicted of refusing to answer a public servant while legally bound to do so can be jailed for up to six months or fined up to S$5,000, or punished with both.
Friday’s development brings the total number of charges brought against Lim to seven.
More at https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/lim-tean-new-charges-refuse-police-questions-2001376
