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Cao Pi
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Tuesday November 23, 2010
Man causes ruckus in shop
By TAN SIN CHOW
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GEORGE TOWN: A relative of a shophouse owner broke into the shop selling prayer paraphernalia and feng shui items at Kimberley Street, demanding that the trader pay up several years of rental which he claimed was owed to him. The “stand-off” inside Bee Chin Heong Sdn Bhd, one of the largest retailers of such items in the country, between the man and the trader’s family lasted for nearly two hours before the police intervened.
A check by the police showed that the man had broken into the premises with at least five others and demanded to talk to the trader. The trader sent out a family member and a lawyer to talk to the man but they could not come to an agreement. A life-sized deity’s statue was also smashed during the incident.
The man was later taken to the district police headquarters for questioning.
Bee Chin Heong chairman Datuk Tan Choo Hin said the company was in the process of buying the shophouse after talks with the lawyer of the intended property trustees. “The intended trustees are now awaiting a court decision to appoint them as the new trustees after the death of the second generation owner.
“Once appointed, the trustees are the only ones who can sell the property,” he said. “I am now waiting for court approval to seal the deal. “I have already paid a down payment,” he added. Tan said he and his lawyer had each lodged a police report over the incident.
He said his lawyer was threatened by the man during the ruckus while he lodged a police report against the man for breaking into the premises. A police spokesman said the case was being investigated under Section 457 of the Penal Code for breaking-in.
