Bollywood Veggies cleared of charges
Farm director shaves head on winning case
By Elena Chong
Mrs Ivy Singh-Lim having her head shaved by her husband outside the Subordinate Courts yesterday, as she had promised to do if she won the case. In court, she thanked the judge and pumped her fist, saying 'Majulah Singapura!' -- PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
acquit
SHE won the case and she lost her hair.
Mrs Ivy Singh-Lim, a director of organic vegetable and fruit farm Bollywood Veggies, kissed the floor and shaved her head outside the Subordinate Courts yesterday after the farm was cleared of two summons charges under the Building Control Act.
Mrs Singh-Lim, who turns 62 today, had promised to shave her head if she won the case.
As her lawyers from Engelin Teh Practice and a few passers-by watched, she had her hair cut and head shaved by her husband Lim Ho Seng, 68, and her driver of more than 20 years.
The job took about 15 minutes.
Mr Lim, a former chief executive officer of NTUC FairPrice, is also a director of the company.
Bollywood Veggies was acquitted of failing to comply with a notice requiring it to get the buildings at its Neo Tiew Road farm inspected, and failing to appoint a professional engineer to do the job.
The defence had challenged the validity of the notice and charges. Its case was that the company did not receive the notice and the reminders in 2008.
In her oral grounds, Judge Jasbendar Kaur found that the prosecution had failed to show beyond reasonable doubt that the notice and the two reminders were served on the company.
The defence had evidence to show that there had been occasions when Bollywood had not received mail sent to its address.
The judge also found that the notice failed to specify a time period within which the inspection had to be carried out.
'In the light of this, I find that the prosecution has failed to show that the accused company failed to comply with the notice as at May 26, 2009 as that was not the specified time period by which they had to carry out the inspection.'
Mrs Singh-Lim, former president of Netball Singapore, thanked the judge for confirming her faith in the country, that it was 'the best' in the world.
She pumped her right fist and said: 'Majulah Singapura!'
She is asking for costs from the state but this matter has been adjourned.
Interviewed outside the court, she said she wanted costs as the case, which she added should not have come to court, had taken so much of her time.
A Building and Construction Authority spokesman said: 'We will study the court's findings with our legal advisers before deciding on the next course of action and fine-tune our processes where necessary.'
The company could have been fined up to $20,000 for each charge if convicted.
[email protected]
Farm director shaves head on winning case
By Elena Chong
Mrs Ivy Singh-Lim having her head shaved by her husband outside the Subordinate Courts yesterday, as she had promised to do if she won the case. In court, she thanked the judge and pumped her fist, saying 'Majulah Singapura!' -- PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
acquit
SHE won the case and she lost her hair.
Mrs Ivy Singh-Lim, a director of organic vegetable and fruit farm Bollywood Veggies, kissed the floor and shaved her head outside the Subordinate Courts yesterday after the farm was cleared of two summons charges under the Building Control Act.
Mrs Singh-Lim, who turns 62 today, had promised to shave her head if she won the case.
As her lawyers from Engelin Teh Practice and a few passers-by watched, she had her hair cut and head shaved by her husband Lim Ho Seng, 68, and her driver of more than 20 years.
The job took about 15 minutes.
Mr Lim, a former chief executive officer of NTUC FairPrice, is also a director of the company.
Bollywood Veggies was acquitted of failing to comply with a notice requiring it to get the buildings at its Neo Tiew Road farm inspected, and failing to appoint a professional engineer to do the job.
The defence had challenged the validity of the notice and charges. Its case was that the company did not receive the notice and the reminders in 2008.
In her oral grounds, Judge Jasbendar Kaur found that the prosecution had failed to show beyond reasonable doubt that the notice and the two reminders were served on the company.
The defence had evidence to show that there had been occasions when Bollywood had not received mail sent to its address.
The judge also found that the notice failed to specify a time period within which the inspection had to be carried out.
'In the light of this, I find that the prosecution has failed to show that the accused company failed to comply with the notice as at May 26, 2009 as that was not the specified time period by which they had to carry out the inspection.'
Mrs Singh-Lim, former president of Netball Singapore, thanked the judge for confirming her faith in the country, that it was 'the best' in the world.
She pumped her right fist and said: 'Majulah Singapura!'
She is asking for costs from the state but this matter has been adjourned.
Interviewed outside the court, she said she wanted costs as the case, which she added should not have come to court, had taken so much of her time.
A Building and Construction Authority spokesman said: 'We will study the court's findings with our legal advisers before deciding on the next course of action and fine-tune our processes where necessary.'
The company could have been fined up to $20,000 for each charge if convicted.
[email protected]
