http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/Singapore/Story/STIStory_405967.html
Man gets reformative training
By Elena Chong
A 20-YEAR-OLD who helped an illegal moneylender harass debtors was sentenced to reformative training on Tuesday.
Although probation and reformative training were recommended for Roy Chua Keng Boon, 20, the prosecution objected to him being placed on probation.
The Community Court said there was public interest involved, and agreed with the prosecution the need to send a strong message that such offences would not be condoned.
Police prosecutor Sheik Allaudeen told Community Court judge Ng Peng Hong that the full-time national serviceman had made a career of harassing debtors because of the easy money to be made.
He said more and more youths were being engaged by illegal moneylending syndicates. There were 12 persons in 2006, which more than quadrupled to 56 in 2007. Last year's figure was 63, and for the first five months of this year, 56.
Chua's co-accused, Lok Wen Hui, 17, was sent to Reformative Training Centre last Friday after he admitted to two similar offences.
Three other charges against each of them were taken into consideration.
Lok was promised $40 by a loan shark called John for each unit harassed. He then invited Chua to join him as a runner and share the payment.
Both splashed paint on the door and scrawled words related to unlicensed moneylending activities at nearby staircase landing of two units at Boon Lay Avenue and Holland Close on May 10 and 11 respectively.
They were arrested at a road block along Woodlands Avenue 2 on May 11.
Chua could have been fined between $4,000 and $40,000 and/or jailed for up to three years on each charge.
Man gets reformative training
By Elena Chong
A 20-YEAR-OLD who helped an illegal moneylender harass debtors was sentenced to reformative training on Tuesday.
Although probation and reformative training were recommended for Roy Chua Keng Boon, 20, the prosecution objected to him being placed on probation.
The Community Court said there was public interest involved, and agreed with the prosecution the need to send a strong message that such offences would not be condoned.
Police prosecutor Sheik Allaudeen told Community Court judge Ng Peng Hong that the full-time national serviceman had made a career of harassing debtors because of the easy money to be made.
He said more and more youths were being engaged by illegal moneylending syndicates. There were 12 persons in 2006, which more than quadrupled to 56 in 2007. Last year's figure was 63, and for the first five months of this year, 56.
Chua's co-accused, Lok Wen Hui, 17, was sent to Reformative Training Centre last Friday after he admitted to two similar offences.
Three other charges against each of them were taken into consideration.
Lok was promised $40 by a loan shark called John for each unit harassed. He then invited Chua to join him as a runner and share the payment.
Both splashed paint on the door and scrawled words related to unlicensed moneylending activities at nearby staircase landing of two units at Boon Lay Avenue and Holland Close on May 10 and 11 respectively.
They were arrested at a road block along Woodlands Avenue 2 on May 11.
Chua could have been fined between $4,000 and $40,000 and/or jailed for up to three years on each charge.
