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The Singapore police arrested a 28-year-old man for allegedly robbing a person with a pair of scissors along Jalan Selamat in Kembangan.
The perpetrator also allegedly demanded that the victim hand over cash amounting to S$5,000, according to a May 3 news release issued by the Singapore Police Force (SPF). Arrested man within 16 hours of report The police said they were alerted to the case on May 2 at about 4:35am. Within 16 hours of the report, officers from Bedok Police Division established the man's identity and arrested him through ground enquiries and with the aid of images from police cameras and CCTVs. Cash amounting to S$3,400 was subsequently recovered. The man will be charged in court on May 3 with the offence of armed robbery with hurt. If convicted, the accused could have been jailed for not less than five years and not more than 20 years and punished with not less than 12 strokes of cane. Report robbery cases as soon as possible The police also advised members of the public to remain calm and take note of the physical appearance, as well as distinctive features of the perpetrator when confronted with a robbery. They are also encouraged to call the police as soon as possible. "The police will spare no effort to arrest those who commit violent crimes and will take firm action against them in accordance with the law," added the police. Public warned against consuming 3 products that contain potent ingredients, including steroids5/3/2024 SINGAPORE - The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has issued a warning to the public against consuming or purchasing three health products which contain potent medicinal ingredients, including steroids.
The three products are called Natural Herbs, Special Skin Treatment and La Mu Cao capsules. They contain steroids, while antibiotic amoxicillin, diclofenac – an anti-inflammatory painkiller – and paracetamol were found in La Mu Cao capsules, HSA said on May 3. A man in his 70s who had taken La Mu Cao capsules developed discomfort in his eyes a day after. The man, who bought it from a friend, used it after noticing its quick effect in relieving his wife’s leg pain. The capsules, which contain dark brown powder, were packed in an unlabelled transparent bag and came with a leaflet printed in Chinese, and claimed to have contained herbal ingredients including moringa seeds, cordyceps and panax ginseng. But HSA’s analysis showed that it contains several potent medicinal ingredients. Although the man suffered just eye discomfort, the agency warned that the consequences may have been more dire. In another incident, a woman in her 50s developed Cushing’s syndrome – a serious steroid-induced condition characterised by a round or “moon face” appearance – after taking Natural Herbs for two months for general wellbeing. The product was labelled as “SGS approved” – a certification to state that the product meets the national, regional and international requirements – and “suitable” to treat a wide range of conditions including knee pain, itchy skin, internal injury and stroke and claimed to have “no steroid and mercury added”. But the tablets were found to contain a potent steroid, dexamethasone. The woman had purchased the tablets through a relative, added HSA. The agency was alerted by a member of the public to the product “Special Skin Treatment” – sold on the now inactive touchskin.com.sg website – after noticing significant improvement in her children’s eczema within five days of using the product. The cream was promoted to relieve skin conditions such as eczema and claimed to contain natural ingredients. But after HSA tests, the product was found to contain clobetasol propionate, a potent steroid. The agency has not detected the sale of this cream on local e-commerce platforms, but investigation is ongoing. Potent steroids are usually prescribed for inflammatory conditions and should only be used under strict medical supervision, HSA said. Long-term unsupervised use of steroids can cause increased blood sugar levels, which could lead to diabetes, Cushing’s syndrome and other serious adverse effects, the agency warned. Additionally, unsupervised use of diclofenac can lead to damage and bleeding of the stomach, while inappropriate use of amoxicillin without medical supervision can lead to antibiotic resistance. Consumers are advised to immediately visit a doctor if they are taking or are using any of the three products. All sellers and suppliers must stop selling the three products immediately, the agency said. Sellers and suppliers of such products may be jailed for up to 3 years and/or fined up to $100,000. Those who have any information on the sale and supply of the three illegal products may contact HSA’s enforcement branch at 6866 3485. SINGAPORE – While she was being intimate with her husband, a woman heard him say the name of one of their daughters.
Later, when the 15-year-old girl told her mother that her father had sexually abused her, the woman believed her because of what happened earlier. On May 3, the 47-year-old unemployed man was sentenced to 16 years’ jail and 18 strokes of the cane by the High Court, after he pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual assault by penetration. Six other charges – two for rape and four for outrage of modesty – were taken into consideration. Deputy Public Prosecutor Shamini Joseph told the court that the couple and their seven children lived in a one-bedroom flat. The mother worked at a bakery and provided for the family financially, while the man worked odd jobs and usually stayed out late to drink with his friends. He slept on a sofa in the living room, while the woman slept in the bedroom with the children. The man began molesting the victim – his second-oldest child – in 2018, when she was 11 or 12 years old. He first raped her on Oct 7, 2021, when she was 15. That morning, after the woman had left for work, the man asked the victim’s younger sister to go to school. The 12-year-old protested and told him that she had to stay at home for home-based learning. But the man insisted that she leave the flat even after she phoned her school counsellor to explain the situation to her father. The victim’s older sister, who was 16 years old, advised the 12-year-old to go to their mother’s workplace. The two girls then left the flat. Their departure left the victim alone in the bedroom with her younger siblings, who were aged seven and below. The man summoned the victim to the living room, but she refused to go as she knew that he would sexually assault her, as he had done so on a number of occasions. He then pulled her out of the bedroom and raped her on the sofa. After the assault, he took a shower with her. The victim bumped into her seven-year-old sister as she was coming out of the toilet. On the morning of Oct 29, 2021, the man again pulled the victim out of the bedroom and raped her. The DPP said: “The victim did not put up any resistance because she felt that it was futile as he was stronger than her and she had no means to stop these acts. She stared at the ceiling while the accused was performing these acts.” The victim confided in a 15-year-old family friend that she had “butt pain” and that her father had done something to her, but the friend did not dare to probe further. Shortly after the second rape, the friend attended a birthday celebration for the victim’s mother held at the flat. The mother told the friend that she felt that the victim was hiding something, prompting the friend to recount what the victim had told her. Overhearing their conversation, the victim’s seven-year-old sister told her mother that on Oct 7, the man had summoned the victim to the living room and that she later saw the victim and the man with wet hair. The mother then pulled the victim aside and asked her if anything had happened with the man. Surprised by the abrupt question, the girl eventually told her mother about the sexual acts. The woman confronted the accused. She also took the victim for a medical check-up, and accompanied the girl to lodge a police report on Nov 4, 2021. The man was arrested on the same day and has been remanded in custody since. Investigations revealed that he often checked the victim’s mobile phone to ensure that she did not have any boyfriends, but did not do the same for the other children. The DPP said the victim initially did not tell anyone about the incidents as she did not know they were wrong, was afraid that no one would believe her, and was fearful of the consequences if she reported the matter. SINGAPORE - A Malaysian national who felt obliged to take up his cousin’s offer to cheat a company helped to forge 17 invoices worth more than $145,000.
Goh Chen Ning, 34, pocketed around $10,000 for these acts. On May 3, he pleaded guilty to one count of cheating and was sentenced to five months’ jail. One similar charge was taken into consideration. Goh had come to Singapore more than 10 years ago to work as a carpenter. Defence lawyer Asoka Markandu, said Goh’s cousin – Teoh Chwin Tzen, referred to as Jason in court – had asked Goh to help out in a carpentry shop on the weekends. Mr Asoka said Goh agreed to the arrangement as he wanted to earn more money. The lawyer did not clarify if the shop is Kai Millwork, where Jason worked. But the cousins later conspired to cheat Kai Millwork, together with Jason’s colleague, Chiang Lai Fah. Mr Asoka said Goh agreed to the scheme as he felt indebted to Jason for the work opportunity he provided. The lawyer said that Goh was only a “minion” acting on instructions. He added that this was a one-off incident and that Goh was a valuable member of society as a skilled carpenter, pointing out that Goh’s employer, who was in court, had stepped up to be his bailor. Mr Asoka said: “To find that he has an employer who is with him today is something that speaks of his character.” But District Judge Prem Raj said that Goh played an important part of the scheme, as there would have been no forged invoices without him. “I do not think these were momentarily lapses in judgment… especially if he did it on 17 occasions,” the judge said. The court heard Jason had concocted a plan to cheat his company sometime in 2021. He would falsify, or instruct someone to falsify invoices – claiming works were done by freelancers. Jason was then a supervisor in the firm. He was in charge of engaging freelancers and approving invoices for any work done by them. Jason would then send the invoices to Chiang, an accounting manager at the firm, who would sign off and approve the payments. The freelancers, which was Goh in this case, would be paid by Kai Millwork and he would then transfer the money to Jason or Chiang. Deputy Public Prosecutor Claire Poh said Jason had promised to give Goh some money for his role. Goh pocketed around $10,000 after helping to falsify 10 invoices worth a total of $111,220 between February 2022 and January 2023. The DPP said Goh’s role came to light only when Jason was investigated for offences related to the company. Court documents do not detail the offences. Goh has since made full restitution to the company. The prosecution said Goh had falsified another seven invoices between February 2021 and January 2022, worth a total of $34,500. On March 15, Chiang, 37, was sentenced to 10 months’ jail for her part in the scheme. Reporters understands that Jason’s case is pending. Those found guilty of non-aggravated cheating can be jailed for up to three years and fined. Jail for man who worked with father and others to give over $1.8m in bribes to a zoo director5/3/2024 SINGAPORE - A man wanted to stop the corrupt practices of his family construction business after he took over its operations, but failed and eventually continued the graft-related arrangements.
Toh Yong Soon, who was working as a project manager at Shin Yong Construction (SYC) at the time, then went on to work with his father and senior executives at other firms to give more than $1.8 million in bribes to a facilities management director at the Singapore Zoological Gardens. In total, the companies linked to the bribe-givers were awarded jobs worth around $15.5 million. On May 3, Toh, 39, was sentenced to three years and three months’ jail after he pleaded guilty to 12 graft charges. Another 47 charges were considered during sentencing. According to court documents, he committed the offences from July 2015 to October 2016 to advance the business interests of multiple firms, including SYC, with Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS). The Singapore Zoological Gardens – now known as the Singapore Zoo – was a subsidiary of WRS. The case also involved inflated invoices in which WRS overpaid a sum of more than $1.9 million. The prosecution said that Toh had taken a cut of up to $118,100 before handing over the bribes to Barry Chong Peng Wee, 57, whose case is pending. Chong has since left WRS, now known as the Mandai Wildlife Group. Deputy public prosecutors Kelvin Chong, Shamini Joseph and Darren Sim stated in court documents that Toh was the main link between Barry Chong and all the other contractors. Stressing that Toh even recruited others into the corrupt scheme, the DPPs added: “Barry informed the accused the prices to bid at and the amount of commission owed to him. “The accused would then convey the information to the other contractors and hand the bribes from these contractors to Barry.” One of the contractors, Tan Chuan Hong, then 47, was sentenced to 14 months’ jail in September 2023. He was a director at Hong Power Engineering at the time of the offences. In October 2023, Toh’s uncle, Too Say Kiong, then 57, was sentenced to two years and two months’ jail. The cases involving Toh’s father, Toh Say Yong, 69, and the men linked to the other firms are still pending. The prosecutors said that Toh Yong Soon’s grandfather had set up SYC before he died in 2004. Too and Toh Yong Soon’s father then carried on the company’s business. The DPPs said that in 2005, the two men entered into a corrupt arrangement with Barry Chong. As part of the deal, Chong would ensure that WRS jobs were awarded to SYC in exchange for cash. Toh Yong Soon joined SYC in 2009 and found about the plan later. In late 2015, Toh Yong Soon and Too had a falling out, and the older man was removed from SYC. Toh Yong Soon, who took over SYC’s operations from his uncle, then had a meeting with Barry Chong. The prosecutors told the court: “The accused informed Barry that SYC wished to simply bid for jobs...and not to pay Barry a ‘commission’ for the jobs that WRS awarded to SYC. “But Barry disagreed. Barry said that if SYC wanted jobs from WRS then the accused had to ‘assist’ Barry by refreshing the participants in this scheme.” The DPPs said that Toh Yong Soon met Chong around two weeks’ later and agreed to continue with the corrupt arrangement. The invoices or quotations SYC submitted to WRS would be marked-up so that Chong would obtain the inflated value as “commission”, the court heard. Toh Yong Soon also agreed to recruit other contractors to join the corrupt arrangement. According to court documents, he later roped in multiple men linked to the other firms. Court documents did not disclose how the offences came to light but the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau started looking into the case in October 2016. Toh Yong Soon was among a group of people who were later charged in court in September 2021. A bakery in Singapore, The Homme Baker, posted a series of Instagram stories alleging that a customer had thrown a hot drink on the store's countertop after not getting her desired seats.
In a post detailing the incident on May 1, the bakery shared an uncensored photo of the woman along with the mess that was made on the counter. They implored the public to "identify" the woman so that they could make a police report and claim any damage caused to their equipment. Wanted bar seats Speaking to reporters, a spokesperson for the bakery said that the woman had been looking for seats after ordering a tiramisu cake and a hot cocoa. They said the woman wanted bar seats across from the service counter. According to the bakery, the staff told her the seats were already taken and she had to find a spot at the communal seating area. At this, the woman allegedly "became agitated" and "used the word 'f*ck' on one of the bakers". "We do not tolerate such abusive language or behaviour towards any of our staff," said the bakery. Potentially damaged equipment The bakery added that after being served her order, the customer "threw her scalding hot cocoa" on the countertop and "all over" the Point of Sale (POS) equipment and electrical items. In CCTV footage shared by the bakery, the woman walked away after that, and a staff member cleaned up the mess with paper towels. "We have not identified the woman, but we will be making a police report today (May 2)," the bakery told reporters. Two Malaysians, aged 28 and 32, were arrested in Malaysia and handed over to the Singapore Police Force on Apr. 30 for allegedly robbing a residence along King Albert Park on Apr. 18, 2024.
According to a press release on May 2, 2024, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said they were part of a group of more than four men. The men allegedly took cash in local and foreign currencies, cryptocurrency, and luxury brand watches from the residence. The items had a total estimated value of S$4.34 million. The police said there were 11 victims aged between 25 and 45. On April. 18, 2024, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) were alerted to a case of gang armed robbery at a residence along King Albert Park. "Through extensive ground enquiries, officers from the Criminal Investigation Department and Clementi Police Division of the SPF established the identities of the men involved," the police said. Further investigations revealed that the group had fled to Malaysia shortly after the SPF was alerted to the case. With assistance from the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP), two men were arrested in Malaysia on Apr. 27 and 28 under two warrants of arrest issued by the State Courts of Singapore. The men were handed over to SPF on Apr. 30. Investigations are ongoing, and SPF is working with RMP to locate the remaining suspects. Both men will be charged in court on May 2. If found guilty of gang armed robbery, the men can be imprisoned for up to 20 years and receive up to 24 strokes of the cane. Deputy Director CID, Assistant Commissioner of Police (AC) Heng Chih Yang, expressed his appreciation to the RMP for their assistance in the arrest of the men. He said, “The SPF will spare no effort to apprehend criminals who commit crimes in Singapore, even if they leave the country. We will work with our foreign law enforcement partners to bring such fugitives to justice.” SINGAPORE - The driver of a lorry involved in a crash which claimed the life of Emeritus Professor Tan Yock Lin said he lost control of his vehicle when he took his eyes off the road to look at his GPS.
Natarajan Mohanraj, 26, had earlier informed the police officer at the crash site that the accident on Jul 7, 2023 happened after he fell asleep at the wheel. The lorry he was in veered across three lanes before crashing into oncoming traffic, including a car driver by Emeritus Professor Tan, a senior law professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS). The professor was 70 at the time of his passing. At the Coroner’s Inquiry on May 2, Natarajan said he changed his initial statement on Aug 30, 2023, to say he lost control of his vehicle while taking his eyes off the road to look at his GPS. The Indian national said he told the police officer he was sleepy as he was in a state of panic after the accident. “But my family advised me to tell the truth after the accident, and that is why I told the truth.” “I did not fall asleep at any point while I was driving that day,” he said through a translator. Natarajan told the court that he was travelling on the left most lane along Upper Thomson Road when his GPS signalled that he needed to make a right turn. He was driving from Jalan Buroh in Pioneer to Ang Mo Kio to pick up a colleague. Natarajan said he checked his mirrors for passing vehicles before switching from the third to first lane. He said he was constantly checking the GPS on his phone as he was unfamiliar with the area. After he reached the first lane, he checked his GPS again. He told the court that at this point, he realised his right front tyre had mounted the divider. He subsequently lost control of his vehicle. Natarajan said he was travelling between 60kmh and 70kmh at the time. He told the court he had only been driving for around eight months at the time, and that he was not usually required to be behind the wheel. “I don’t normally drive as I’m a general construction worker. I am only asked to drive at times,” he said, adding that he depended on the GPS as he was unfamiliar with the roads in Singapore. The court heard the police were alerted to the accident around 10am on Jul 7, 2023. The first police officer arrived at around 10.50am, by which time officers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) were already there. Prof Tan was trapped in the driver’s seat of the car after the collision. SCDF officers helped to extricate him from the vehicle using hydraulic equipment. He was brought to the hospital unconscious with large forehead lacerations, an open skull fracture and injuries to both thighs and ankles. He did not respond to resuscitation efforts. Prof Tan’s nephew and sister-in-law were in court for the inquiry. The case will be heard again on May 10. SINGAPORE – A project manager at a construction firm worked with three other men, including the company’s sole director, to give more than $88,000 in bribes to the facilities management director at the Singapore Zoological Gardens.
The attraction, now known as the Singapore Zoo, was a subsidiary of Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), which also managed the Night Safari. Chong Yun Chia, 40, who was working for KK Iron Engineering (KKI) at the time, was one of four men who engaged in a conspiracy to give the monies to Barry Chong Peng Wee, 57, over four occasions in 2016. This was done to advance KKI’s business interests with WRS, now known as the Mandai Wildlife Group. On May 2, Chong Yun Chia, a Malaysian, pleaded guilty to five graft charges with 19 others to be considered during sentencing. Deputy Public Prosecutors Kelvin Chong, Shamini Joseph and Darren Sim stated in court documents that due to the corrupt arrangement, WRS awarded multiple contracts to KKI worth more than $1 million. It is estimated that WRS suffered a loss of at least $88,350 as a result of marked-up prices submitted under the corrupt arrangement in relation to Chong Yun Chia’s charges. The DPPs told the court that he had worked with Koh Kian Hee, To Chai Kiat and Toh Yong Soon to give the bribes to Barry Chong, who has left WRS. At the time of the offences, Koh, 41 was a director and shareholder at construction firm Geoscapes while To, 50, was the sole director of KKI. Toh, 39, was then a project manager at a firm called Shin Yong Construction (SYC). The cases involving To, Toh and Barry Chong are pending. According to court documents, Chong Yun Chia also received bribes totalling more than $92,000 from Koh over multiple occasions in 2016 as rewards for creating fictitious invoices. The prosecution said that in 2005, Barry Chong entered into a corrupt arrangement with key personnel of SYC to ensure that WRS-related jobs were awarded to SYC in exchange for monetary commission. Toh began managing SYC’s operations 10 years later and continued with this arrangement. The DPPs said: “Toh was to recruit other contractors into the arrangement. Barry would tell Toh a specific price to bid at to ensure that a job was awarded by WRS to SYC or the other contractors. “Toh and the group of contractors would then collude to put in bids for WRS jobs at the specified prices, where some parties would put in bids higher than the bid price given by Barry.” The quotations WRS received were presented to Barry Chong, and the managers working under him would generally award the jobs to the lowest quotes received. The prosecution told the court that Toh later recruited Koh into the scheme and, in turn, Koh roped in To. Court documents stated that Koh had told To that KKI would be able to secure WRS-related projects if he joined their scheme. To then recruited Chong Yun Chia when the latter began working as a project manager for KKI. In 2014, Chong Yun Chia and To jointly founded a company called Onesta Projects. The prosecution told the court that around January 2016, Koh asked To to generate fictitious invoices for him to help mask an audit trail of “commissions” that Geoscapes had been paying Barry Chong in exchange for WRS-related jobs. Even though To refused to do so, Chong Yun Chia agreed to help Koh and liaised directly with him. He then received more than $92,000 in bribes from Koh, the court heard. These offences came to an end when the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau looked into the matter in October that year. Chong Yun Chia’s mitigation and sentencing are expected to take place on July 11. SINGAPORE – Cordlife has received its first letter of demand from lawyers acting on behalf of one of its clients for breach of a service agreement and breach of duty of care in negligence, the company said in an SGX filing on May 2.
A letter of demand is an expression of the claimant’s intention to commence court proceedings should the claims or demands continue to go unanswered. Cordlife said the sum its client is claiming for is between $60,000 and $250,000. Cordlife is a private cord blood banking and processing facility in Singapore and South-east Asia. Cord blood banking is the process of storing a child’s umbilical cord blood, which is a rich source of stem cells, should the need for a stem cell transplant ever arise. Processes at the company have been in the spotlight after it was revealed on Nov 30 that cryopreserved cord blood units in seven of its 22 storage tanks were exposed to sub-optimal storage temperatures. As it stands, damage to two tanks and a dry shooter has been confirmed. The company sought legal advice on the letter of demand and does not agree with the claimant’s contention that Cordlife is precluded from relying on various clauses of the client’s contract. So far, Cordlife said it has not been provided supporting details by the client’s lawyer to prove the basis of the amount claimed and that it intends to defend the claim. Separately, Cordlife said it also received notice of a claim lodged against the company in February in the Small Claims Tribunals (SCT) from another client, alleging damage to the cord blood unit of the client’s child resulting from improper storage. The SCT has the jurisdiction to deal with claims not exceeding $20,000. Proceedings in the SCT are ongoing. Cordlife said it is unable to determine the exact financial impact of the claim in the letter of demand. Its legal advisers have advised that there are grounds to challenge the claim and allegations made. But should the company be ultimately required to settle the claim in the letter of demand, the SCT claim or claims made by multiple clients, this will likely result in a negative impact on the financial position of the group for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2024. Reporters understands that two groups of parents have sought legal advice to pursue action against Cordlife. |
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