Ah nehs...

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#1

Former secretary of Hindu temple fined $7,000 for continuing to act in position while disqualified

After his conviction in 2017, Ratha Krishnan Selvakumar continued to act as the temple's secretary.ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

Dominic Low

PUBLISHED 4 HOURS AGO

SINGAPORE - A man disqualified as secretary of a Hindu temple for being convicted of offences involving elements of dishonesty was fined $7,000 in court for continuing to play the role for over a year.

Ratha Krishnan Selvakumar, 65, had pleaded guilty on Thursday (Nov 19) to one count of acting as a board member of a charity despite being disqualified.

He was a key board member of Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, a registered charity located in Serangoon Road which the Commissioner of Charities (COC) in 2018 found to have been mismanaged.

On May 9, 2017, Selvakumar was convicted of 10 offences and fined $80,000.

He had inflated the monthly salary of various foreign workers, whom he employed in a company he owned, when applying to the Ministry of Manpower for their work passes.

Under the Charities Act, any person who has previously been convicted of offences such as fraud, corruption, bribery and deception is disqualified from acting in the capacity of a governing board member, key officer or trustee of any charity.

Selvakumar, who was appointed as the secretary of the temple in 2011, is believed to be the first person prosecuted for the offence since the Act was amended in 2018.

A member of the temple's governing board, he oversaw its daily operations and was also one of the three people authorised to conduct financial transactions on behalf of the temple.

After his conviction in 2017, Selvakumar continued to act as the temple's secretary, and was even paid $10,450 monthly from July 2017.

His stint ended on April 30, 2018, when the COC barred key board members of the temple - including Selvakumar - from their posts after an eight-month probe found "severe mismanagement" in how its money was managed.

In a statement issued then, the Commissioner noted that an inquiry found a "severe lack of care and prudence" by key board members as guardians of the temple's charitable assets between January 2011 and July 2014, with internal controls nearly "non-existent".

Such behaviour had put the temple's funds and assets at risk.

The probe found many instances where payments given by the temple were not adequately substantiated with sufficient supporting documents.

These payments exceeded $500,000.

The Commissioner also appointed three additional board members to the temple's management to put in place proper governance and internal controls.

They are Mr Shekaran K. Krishnan, a partner at Ernst & Young, Mr Ram an Rajakanth, executive director of Rainbow Across Borders and Mr Baskaran Ambikapathy, a financial controller.

A spokesman for the Hindu Endowments Board had said then that the board assisted the temple's newly appointed and remaining management committee members in every way possible to put in place the proper controls.

On Thursday, the court heard that Selvakumar had tendered a letter of resignation to the temple on May 7, 2018.

District Judge Carol Ling also took into consideration one similar charge during sentencing.

For his offence, Selvakumar could have been jailed for up to three years, or fined up to $10,000, or both.

 

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#2

Police arrest chief priest of Sri Mariamman Temple for criminal breach of trust involving missing gold ornaments

A police report was lodged regarding the gold ornaments that went missing under the custody of Mr Sivashri Kandasamy Senapathi.PHOTO: HINDU ENDOWMENTS BOARD/FACEBOOK

Tan Tam Mei

PUBLISHED AUG 1, 2020, 10:52 PM SGT

SINGAPORE - The police are investigating the chief priest of Singapore's oldest Hindu temple, the Sri Mariamman Temple, for an incident involving criminal breach of trust.

In a statement released on Saturday night (Aug 1), the temple said a police report was lodged regarding gold ornaments that went missing in the custody of its chief priest Mr Sivashri Kandasamy Senapathi.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, the police confirmed the report, and said a 36-year-old man was arrested for criminal breach of trust as a servant.
Police investigations are ongoing.

The man is currently out on bail.

Gold ornaments which are frequently used for prayers are kept in the custody of the chief priest in the inner sanctum of the temple, and regular audits are done to ensure that the ornaments are physically accounted for, said the temple in the statement.

"During the last audit, it was discovered (that) some gold ornaments were missing. The chief priest was questioned, and he subsequently returned all missing gold ornaments," said the temple.

It added that further checks by the temple committee confirmed that all gold ornaments were fully accounted for and no other person was involved in the incident.

"As it appeared that an offence (had) been committed, a police report was lodged notwithstanding the fact that the temple suffered no loss," said the statement.

When contacted, a temple spokesman confirmed the name of the chief priest, but said it was unable to give more details of the case, such as the dates of the incident and the report, and further details of the offence, as investigations were ongoing.

The Straits Times understands the incident happened on July 29.

The temple committee has kept the Hindu Endowments Board informed of this matter and is working to have closure on this matter, added the statement.

The Sri Mariamman Temple was constructed around 1827 and is one of the main temples for Hindu worshippers in Singapore.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, it was also a popular tourist spot in Chinatown and is also home to the annual firewalking festival.

The offence of criminal breach of trust happens when a person dishonestly misappropriates, takes, uses or disposes of any property which he has control over.

 

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#3

Man charged with slashing Certis enforcement officer with sickle

The victim and another Certis officer were on enforcement duty against public health offences, such as littering and smoking, when the incident occurred.PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS

Shaffiq Alkhatib
Court Correspondent
PUBLISHED NOV 11, 2020, 12:49 PM SGT


SINGAPORE - A man who allegedly slashed a Certis enforcement officer with a sickle earlier this week was charged on Wednesday (Nov 11) with one count of assault.

Vikneswaran Sivan, a 30-year-old Singaporean, is accused of using the weapon to slash Mr Mohamad Afiq Mohamad Jamil's calves at Block 503C Canberra Link near Sembawang Road at around 7.40pm on Monday.

Certis and the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in an earlier joint statement that Mr Afiq and another Certis officer were on enforcement duty against public health offences, such as littering and smoking, when the incident occurred.

Both officers were attached to the NEA at the time.

After somebody was issued a fine for a smoking offence, Vikneswaran allegedly attacked Mr Afiq.

The agencies said the attacker "was present but not implicated in the smoking enforcement action".

Some residents in the area told The New Paper they heard screams during the incident.

A domestic helper was quoted as saying: "When I looked out, I saw a man lying on the road in pain. He looked like he had been hit by a car and was holding his leg and screaming."

Vikneswaran was arrested within seven hours of the incident.

A bloodstained sickle was found by the police near the scene of the crime. PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE

His bail was set at $15,000 on Wednesday and his case has been adjourned to Dec 9.

For voluntarily causing hurt with a weapon, an offender can be jailed for up to seven years and fined or caned.

 

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#4

Jail, caning for mastermind of Ang Mo Kio jewellery store robbery involving valuables worth nearly $120k

Three men conspired to rob Hock Cheong Jade and Jewellery shop on Aug 14, 2019.PHOTO: ST FILE

Shaffiq Alkhatib
Court Correspondent
PUBLISHED NOV 12, 2020, 4:30 PM SGT

SINGAPORE - The mastermind of a brazen daylight robbery at an Ang Mo Kio jewellery store last year was jailed for three years and three months with six strokes of the cane on Thursday (Nov 12) after making off with nearly $120,000 worth of valuables.

M. Jegatheesh, 28, had conspired with two other men, Sharavindran Suppiah, 32, and Veeramani Subran Das, 37, the court heard. All three are Singaporean.

On Thursday, Jegatheesh pleaded guilty to engaging in a conspiracy to rob Hock Cheong Jade and Jewellery shop at Block 574 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 on Aug 14 last year.

Sharavindran admitted to offences including dishonestly receiving the stolen property and will be sentenced on Friday.

Veeramani, who drove the getaway car, was sentenced to three years' jail with six strokes of the cane on Nov 2 after pleading guilty to his role in the heist.

Deputy Public Prosecutors Thiagesh Sukumaran and Jeremy Bin said that Jegatheesh met the two others in Geylang at around 9pm on Aug 13 last year to plan the jewellery store robbery.

The court heard that Jegatheesh targeted the shop, as it looked old, and assumed that it did not have an alarm system installed. He was also aware that the owners, Mr Ling Hew Kwong, 70, and his brother, Mr Leng Yew Weng, 75, "were of advanced age".

The prosecutors added: "Jegatheesh asked Veeramani to play the role of the getaway driver, and to ferry the gold to Sharavindran, and informed Veeramani that he would be paid for his role. Jegatheesh further asked Sharavindran to help with the sale of the gold."

The following day on Aug 14, Veeramani met Jegatheesh in a car at a carpark near Block 521 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 at around 2.40pm.

Jegatheesh reached the store at around 4pm and tried to pull down the roller shutter at its entrance.

When it got stuck midway, he shouted at Mr Ling and his brother and jumped over a jewellery counter.

Amid the commotion, the two shop owners managed to press the hidden alarm buttons to alert an external security firm about the robbery.

The DPPs said that Jegatheesh then "swept the jewellery, including gold necklaces, bracelets, and pendants, into his duffle bag".

The two shop owners did not confront Jegatheesh, as he was bigger than them. Mr Ling, however, shouted for help, alerting two people nearby, and one of them called the police.

Jegatheesh dashed out of the store with his loot and got into a car driven by Veeramani.

The two men parted ways at an Ang Mo Kio carpark. Veeramani went on to meet Sharavindran later that day.

Police managed to arrest all three, and recovered the stolen valuables.

On Thursday, the prosecutors urged the court to sentence Jegatheesh to 3½ years' jail with six strokes of the cane, stressing that the robbery had caused "significant public alarm".

They added: "Jegatheesh was the chief planner in the operation. He roped in Veeramani and Sharavindran into the operation and meticulously planned this offence."

For robbery, an offender can be jailed for up to 10 years and receive at least six strokes of the cane.

 

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#5

Man who received loot from Ang Mo Kio jewellery store heist sentenced to 27 months' jail, $20k fine

Sharavindran Suppiah is one of the three men linked to the robbery of an Ang Mo Kio jewellery store in 2019.PHOTO: ST FILE

Shaffiq Alkhatib
Court Correspondent
PUBLISHED NOV 13, 2020, 1:56 PM SGT

SINGAPORE - The third and final man linked to the robbery of an Ang Mo Kio jewellery store last year was sentenced on Friday (Nov 13) to 27 months' jail and a fine of $20,000.

Sharavindran Suppiah, 32, had earlier pleaded guilty to four counts of dishonestly receiving stolen property, which also involved items taken in the robbery.

He also admitted to seven other unrelated offences, including assault and driving a car on Aug 13 last year even though he did not have a licence to do so.

On Friday, he was disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles for six months. He will have to spend an additional two months behind bars if he is unable to settle the fine.

The mastermind of the robbery, M. Jegatheesh, 28, was sentenced on Thursday to three years and three months' jail, and six strokes of the cane.

Veeramani Subran Das, 37, who drove the getaway car, was sentenced to three years' jail and six strokes of the cane on Nov 2. All three men are Singaporeans.

Deputy Public Prosecutors Thiagesh Sukumaran and Jeremy Bin told the court that Jegatheesh met the two others in Geylang at around 9pm on Aug 13 last year to plan the heist.

The next day, Veeramani met Jegatheesh in a car at a carpark near Block 521 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 at around 2.40pm.

Jegatheesh went alone to Hock Cheong Jade and Jewellery shop, which is located at Block 574 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 and committed the robbery.

He filled a duffle bag with valuables worth nearly $120,000 in total and ran into a car driven by Veeramani. The two men then left the scene.

When they got to the same carpark in Ang Mo Kio, Veeramani took the duffle bag and they parted ways.

Later that day, Veeramani met Sharavindran who inspected the contents of the bag.

Sharavindran then contacted a man and asked him to arrange for someone to buy the jewellery.

The DPPs said: "Sharavindran was instructed by Jegatheesh to safekeep the jewellery in a place known by Jegatheesh while they figured out how to offload it.

"He directed Veeramani to drive to Dakota Crescent, where he knew there were abandoned blocks of Housing Board flats."

While Veeramani waited, Sharavindran carried a bag containing the valuables to the sixth storey of a block. He placed the bag into the cistern of a toilet bowl and the two men left the scene.

But all three offenders were arrested and the loot was recovered.

In an unrelated case, the court heard that Sharavindran had worked with three other men and a woman to receive stolen cheques in 2017.

He had also assaulted a 47-year-old man in Geylang in July 2017 following a dispute, an attack which left the victim with injuries including fractured ribs.

For each count of receiving stolen property, an offender can be jailed for up to five years and fined.

 

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#6

Jail, caning for man over role in Ang Mo Kio jewellery shop robbery

Police conduct investigations at Hock Cheong Jade and Jewellery shop in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 on Aug 14, 2019.PHOTO: ST FILE

Shaffiq Alkhatib
Court Correspondent
PUBLISHED NOV 2, 2020, 4:09 PM SGT

SINGAPORE - Three men decided to work together on a heist which was carried out last year at an Ang Mo Kio jewellery shop, a district court heard on Monday (Nov 2).

The offender who drove the getaway car, Veeramani Subran Das, 37, was sentenced to three years' jail with six strokes of the cane after pleading guilty to his role in what the prosecutors called a "brazen and audacious daylight robbery", with nearly $120,000 in valuables taken.

The cases involving his two alleged accomplices, M. Jegatheesh, 28, and Sharavindran Suppiah, 32, are still pending. All three men are Singaporeans.

Deputy Public Prosecutors Thiagesh Sukumaran and Jeremy Bin stated in court documents that Jegatheesh met the two others in Geylang at around 9pm on Aug 13 last year before telling them that he wanted to rob Hock Cheong Jade and Jewellery shop at Block 574, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 the next day.

The court heard that he chose the shop as it looked old and assumed that it was not installed with an alarm system.

The prosecutors added that Jegatheesh chose the shop as the owners, Mr Ling Hew Kwong, 70, and his brother, Mr Leng Yew Weng, 75, "were of advanced age and would not be able to put up resistance".

"Jegatheesh asked Veeramani to play the role of the getaway driver, and to ferry the gold to Sharavindran, and informed Veeramani that he would be paid for his role. Jegatheesh further asked Sharavindran to help with the sale of the gold. All three accused persons agreed to this plan."

Veeramani met Jegatheesh in a car at a carpark near Block 521, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 at around 2.40pm on Aug 14 last year.

The DPPs said that Jegatheesh then told Veeramani to drive to another nearby carpark five minutes after he got out of the vehicle.

Dressed in a long-sleeved blue shirt and an all-black ensemble including a hoodie, gloves, as well as helmet, Jegatheesh exited the car soon after.

The court heard that Jegatheesh reached the store at around 4pm and tried to pull down the roller shutter at its entrance.

When it became stuck midway, he shouted at Mr Ling and his brother before jumping over a jewellery counter.

Amid the ruckus, the two shop owners managed to press hidden alarm buttons to notify an external security firm that their store was being robbed.
The DPPs said that Jegatheesh then "swept the jewellery, including gold necklaces, bracelets, and pendants, into his duffle bag".

The two shop owners did not confront Jegatheesh as he was bigger than them, the court heard. Mr Ling, however, shouted for help, alerting two people nearby, and one of them alerted the police.

The court heard that Jegatheesh managed to flee the scene with nearly $120,000 worth of valuables and entered the getaway car driven by Veeramani. The two men then fled the scene.

Veeramani dropped Jegatheesh off before meeting Sharavindran later that day.

The DPPs said: "Sharavindran then decided to safekeep the jewellery in a place known by Jegatheesh while they figured out how to offload it. He directed Veeramani to drive to Dakota Crescent, where he knew there were abandoned blocks of HDB flats."

They added that Sharavindran then entered a unit and hid a bag containing their loot inside the cistern of a toilet bowl.

After an investigation, police raided Veeramani's home at 1.30am on Aug 16 last year. Officers have since managed to recover the stolen valuables.
For robbery, an offender can be jailed for up to 10 years and receive at least six strokes of the cane.

 

[syed putra]

Meanwhile in Malaysia, Malays and chinese learn the art of indian odissi( Odyssey?) dance.

 

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#7

4 men charged following armed robbery at Jurong East moneylender shop

The four men are accused of robbing OT Credit at Block 135 Jurong Gateway of $48,000 in cash on Nov 19 while armed with a karambit knife.ST PHOTO: JEAN IAU

Jean Iau

PUBLISHED NOV 23, 2020

SINGAPORE - Four men said to have been involved in an armed robbery at a licensed moneylender shop in Jurong East were charged in court last Saturday (Nov 21).

Kotta Kumar Jeswanth, 19, Karrtik Stalniraj, 21, Tusheintar Segaran, 21, and Arunasalam Kannan, 26, are accused of robbing OT Credit located at Block 135 Jurong Gateway of $48,000 in cash last Thursday while armed with a karambit knife.

According to court documents, the men pulled a woman's hair during the incident which happened at 4.10pm.

The four men are expected to next appear in court on Friday.

Karrtik has seven other charges pending related to other incidents.

They include causing hurt while using a knife, using profanities on a public servant, and breaching Covid-19 safe distancing measures.

Police announced last Friday that three suspects linked to the robbery were identified by Police Intelligence Department and Clementi Police Division within 12 hours of the robbery.

Their preliminary investigations showed that three of the suspects were directly involved in the robbery.

One of them had pointed a knife at a female staff member, pulled her hair and demanded that she hand over money.

The three of them then allegedly dragged her into a room in the shop to confine her before fleeing with the cash.

The fourth man was arrested for helping to dispose of the knife used in the robbery, police said.

Those found guilty of voluntarily causing hurt while committing or attempting to commit robbery and can be jailed between five and 20 years and receive at least 12 stokes of the cane.

For being armed during a robbery, offenders can additionally be punished with at least 12 strokes of the cane.

 

[syed putra]

They are freedom fighters liberating what used to be a indian colony.

 

[kaninabuchaojibye]

ah nehs in sinkypura kisiao izzit?

 

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#8

CNB officer on trial for assaulting drug suspect thrice in one morning to extract a confession

By LOUISA TANG
Published NOVEMBER 23, 2020
CNA

Vengedesh Raj Nainar Nagarajan, a Central Narcotics Bureau officer, allegedly beat up a suspect three times in less than four hours in the toilet of the bureau's office at Woodlands Checkpoint.

SINGAPORE — A 33-year-old officer from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) went on trial on Monday (Nov 23) for allegedly kicking, punching and slapping a man to extract a confession from him.

Vengedesh Raj Nainar Nagarajan is accused of assaulting Sivabalan Janniappan three times on Jan 2, 2017.

Sivabalan was found with controlled drugs concealed in a raincoat bag.Vengedesh faces three charges of voluntarily causing hurt related to the alleged assault. He also faces three charges of verbally abusing police officers and drinking alcohol in public after 10.30pm, but these were stood down for the trial.

Vengedesh held the rank of corporal at the time of the alleged incident and has since been suspended from CNB. Court documents showed that he allegedly beat Sivabalan up between 5.58am and 6.14am, between 8.35am and 8.43am, and between 9.28am and 9.30am in the toilet of the CNB office at Woodlands Checkpoint.

He purportedly did this to get Sivabalan to confess that he had knowledge of bundles of controlled drugs found concealed in his bag.

Sivabalan, a 24-year-old Malaysian, was arrested at Woodlands Checkpoint. He is now serving 15 years in jail and was given 13 strokes of the cane for drug offences.

On Monday, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Dillon Kok said that another narcotics officer detained Sivabalan after discovering drugs concealed in a raincoat in his motorcycle.Sivabalan cooperated and did not struggle.

He gave a statement to CNB officers at about 4.15am but he did not admit guilt. The team of officers then asked for more support from other CNB teams.

Vengedesh’s team, who was on standby, arrived at the Woodlands Checkpoint office close to 6am.

Doctors examined Sivabalan the evening of the alleged incident and CNB began internal investigations after he made allegations of assault against Vengedesh.

DPP Han Ming Kuang told the court that the prosecution will show Vengedesh took Sivabalan to the toilet on three separate occasions and assaulted him on his own accord, in violation of CNB protocols and the law.

The prosecution will call 18 witnesses including CNB and police officers, and present evidence that includes closed-circuit television footage and Vengedesh’s statements.

Vengedesh is represented by defence lawyer Peter Keith Fernando.

The trial continues for the rest of the week. If convicted of assault in order to get a confession, he could be jailed up to seven years, as well as fined or caned.

 

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#9

Bangladeshi construction worker, 26, arrested under ISA for terrorism-related activities: MHA

Ahmed Faysal actively shared material promoting armed violence on social media, and bought foldable knives to use for attacks in Bangladesh.PHOTOS: MHA

Fabian Koh

NOV 24, 2020

SINGAPORE - A 26-year-old Bangladeshi construction worker was picked up under the Internal Security Act earlier this month for his involvement in terrorism-related activities.

Ahmed Faysal was arrested on Nov 2, and preliminary investigations by the Internal Security Department found he had been radicalised and intended to carry out acts of armed violence in support of his religion, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Tuesday (Nov 24).

Faysal, who is Muslim, is from the eastern part of Bangladesh and obtained his secondary education in a village madrasah.

In February 2017, he left for Singapore and started work for a building products company. His radicalisation journey started in 2018 when he imbibed pro-Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) materials online, the ministry said.

Proficient in English and adept at using social media, he actively disseminated pro-ISIS propaganda, in a mix of English and Bengali, that featured the oppression of Muslims overseas and promoted armed violence.

He would translate some of the content he found online from English to Bengali, and repost it on his social media accounts - some of which he created under fictitious names to evade detection - to encourage other Bangladeshi Muslims to take up arms, MHA added.

He went a step further and bought foldable knives that he later confessed to the authorities he was planning to use for attacks back home.

MHA said investigations so far have not indicated that Faysal intended to carry out any acts of violence in Singapore.

Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam disclosed at a Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) event on Tuesday that Faysal had intended to take the knives back to Bangladesh to carry out attacks against Hindu police officers there.

Mr Shanmugam added that the Commercial Affairs Department is also investigating Faysal for possible terrorism financing offences.

The MHA said Faysal is not linked to the string of attacks that happened in France last month, when a school teacher was beheaded in Paris and three others in Nice were knifed to death, one of whom was beheaded as well.

But he was drawn to ISIS' goal of establishing an Islamic caliphate in Syria and wanted to travel there to fight alongside the group against the Syrian government. He believed he would be a martyr if he died while doing so, MHA added.

In the middle of last year, he shifted his allegiance to Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), another militant group fighting to establish an Islamic caliphate in Syria.

MHA said: "He donated funds to a Syria-based organisation on the understanding that his donations would benefit the HTS' cause in Syria."

The ministry further said Faysal had expressed support for other terrorist groups, including the Al-Qaeda and Somalia-based Al-Shabaab. It noted that he believed Muslims have a duty to engage in armed jihad, to help fellow Muslims who are oppressed.

Apart from Syria, he was also willing to travel to Kashmir to fight against the perceived enemies of Islam, and prepared himself for battle by watching firearms-related videos online, the ministry added.

However, he had a rather different public image.

An MHA spokesman said Faysal lived in a dormitory and is not known to have interacted much with his dorm mates.

“Beyond his social media activities, there is no information that Faysal had tried to influence his colleagues, dormitory mates or anyone else in Singapore with his radical views,” the spokesman said. “It appears that none of them were aware of Faysal’s radicalisation.”

 

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#10

Deputy director at FAS and wife allegedly cheated sporting body of over $600k

Rikram Jit Singh Randhir Singh and his wife Asya Kirin Kames allegedly worked together to cheat the sporting body.ST PHOTOS: TIMOTHY DAVID

Shaffiq Alkhatib
Court Correspondent
Dec 9, 2020


SINGAPORE - A deputy director at the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) and his wife allegedly worked together to cheat the sporting body of more than $600,000 in total between 2016 and 2018.

Rikram Jit Singh Randhir Singh, 40, was handling commercial and business development at FAS, while his wife Asya Kirin Kames, 33, was a director of a firm called All Resource Network (ARN) which dealt with sporting goods.

They were each charged with 45 counts of cheating on Wednesday (Dec 9).

Responding to queries from The Straits Times, FAS said it had sacked Singh on Jan 7 last year. “We have extended our full cooperation with the authorities and are unable to comment as court proceedings are ongoing,” added a spokesman.

Singh and Asya are accused of committing the offences with two other men - Shankar Suppiah, 43, and Pallaniappan Ravindran, 47 - who were also charged on Wednesday.

Shankar, who was also a director at ARN, faces 37 cheating charges while Pallaniappan, a director at event organiser Myriad Sports & Events (MSE), was slapped with 15.

In a statement, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said that invoices from ARN were submitted to FAS as part of the alleged conspiracy.
These invoices purportedly concealed Singh's alleged involvement with ARN.

As a result, FAS is said to have been dishonestly induced to award jobs to ARN, paying it a total of more than $180,000 between 2017 and 2018.

The couple had also allegedly conspired with Shankar and Pallaniappan to submit quotations from MSE to FAS.

CPIB added: "(These) dishonestly concealed the alleged facts that the works on the said MSE quotations would be carried out by ARN instead of MSE, and of (Singh's) involvement in ARN."


As a result, FAS is said to have been dishonestly induced to award jobs to MSE, paying it more than $450,000 in total between 2016 and 2018.
The cases involving all four Singaporeans have been adjourned to Jan 13 next year.

For each count of cheating, an offender can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined.

 

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#11
Ah neh company hires ah nehs. Ah nehs screws ah nehs.

Pastry chain Twelve Cupcakes pleads guilty to underpaying foreign employees for nearly two years

Twelve Cupcakes pleaded guilty to 15 charges of underpaying the employees in 2017 and 2018.ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID

Dominic Low

PUBLISHED Dec 10, 2020

SINGAPORE - For nearly two years, home-grown cupcake chain Twelve Cupcakes underpaid seven of its foreign employees, even short-changing one worker by about half the wages at times.

On Thursday (Dec 10), the company pleaded guilty to 15 charges of underpaying the employees in 2017 and 2018, an offence under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.

Fourteen other similar charges will be taken into consideration by District Judge Adam Nakhoda during sentencing, which is expected to take place on Jan 7 next year.

Twelve Cupcakes was founded by radio DJ Daniel Ong and former model Jaime Teo in 2011 and acquired for $2.5 million by Kolkata-based Dhunseri Group in 2016.

Court documents state that all seven employees were S-Pass holders at the time of the offences. It is not stated if they are still working for the company.

While their fixed monthly salaries ranged from $2,200 to $2,600, they were instead paid about $1,400 to $2,050 by the company,

The court heard that Twelve Cupcakes underpaid six of the employees - who were in customer service and sales roles - their December 2016 to September 2018 wages.
One of these six workers was also underpaid the October and November 2018 wages.

The company also paid less than the fixed monthly salary for January 2017 to September 2018 due to the remaining employee, a pastry chef.

Court documents state that Twelve Cupcakes had initially credited the reduced salaries to the employees' bank accounts.

But they later changed tactics, paying the workers their full salary from May 2018 onwards but then telling the employees they had to return a portion to the company in cash.

Twelve Cupcakes had done so to conceal a paper trail of its offences, said Ministry of Manpower prosecutor Maximilian Chew in urging the court to impose a fine of $127,000.

He said that Twelve Cupcakes would have continued underpaying the employees if the offences had not been discovered.

The prosecutor also said that Singapore is heavily reliant on foreign employees in many sectors, including the food and beverage industry.


There was therefore "enormous public interest" in holding companies accountable for their welfare, including paying their salaries fully and promptly, he added.
Defence lawyer Selvarajan Balamurugan said in mitigation that his client had made full restitution to the employees even before court proceedings started.

For each offence involving underpaying its foreign employees, a company may be fined up to $10,000.

 

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#12

Man sentenced to death for killing girlfriend after she refused to stop seeing another man

Ahmed Salim murdered his girlfriend in a room at the Golden Dragon Hotel on Dec 30, 2018.PHOTO: LIANHE WANBAO

Dominic Low

PUBLISHED DEC 14, 2020

SINGAPORE - A Bangladeshi painter was sentenced to death on Monday (Dec 14) after he was found guilty of murdering his Indonesian girlfriend.

He killed her for refusing to leave a new man she was seeing.

Ahmed Salim, 31, had strangled domestic worker Nurhidayati Wartono Surata in a room at the Golden Dragon Hotel in Geylang on the evening of Dec 30, 2018.

Judicial Commissioner Mavis Chionh convicted Ahmed of a charge of murder, which carries the mandatory death penalty.

The court had earlier heard that Ahmed and Ms Nurhidayati started a relationship in May 2012 after a chance encounter.

They later agreed to get married in December 2018.

But she also started seeing Bangladeshi plumber Shamin Shamizur Rahman in mid-2018.

Ahmed confronted Ms Nurhidayati after suspecting that she was cheating on him, and she admitted to dating another man.

He subsequently asked his mother to help him look for a wife. She found one and arrangements were made for his wedding to take place in February 2019.

But a few months later, Ahmed and Ms Nurhidayati reconciled and resumed dating each other.

However, they quarrelled over her infidelity and on one occasion, while they were in a hotel room, Ahmed pressed a towel over her mouth. He let go after she started struggling.

Some time in late 2018, Ms Nurhidayati began talking to Bangladeshi general fitter Hanifa Mohammad Abu on social media platform Facebook.

She later told Mr Hanifa that she was in a relationship with Ahmed and promised that she would make a clean break with the painter.

On Dec 9, 2018, Ms Nurhidayati told Ahmed that she had a new boyfriend and that he should return to Bangladesh for his arranged marriage.

While she told him during a meeting on Dec 23 that year that she would continue seeing him, she later broke up with him over a phone call.

Ahmed convinced her to meet him again seven days later and they had sex at a hotel.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Hay Hung Chun told the court earlier that Ahmed repeatedly threatened to kill Ms Nurhidayati if she did not end her relationship with Mr Hanifa.

"When the deceased refused, the accused brutally strangled her with a towel around her neck," said the DPP.
DPP Hay had said Ahmed rounded the towel around Ms Nurhidayati's neck, pushed her onto the bed, and stepped on one end of the towel while he pulled at the other end.

After blood flowed from her ear, he pulled even harder until she became motionless, added the DPP.

The DPP had also said that Ahmed then wound a drawstring - which he had brought along with him - around Ms Nurhidayati's neck several times and tightened it with a few knots.

"He twisted her head from left to right for good measure," said the DPP.

Ahmed returned to his dormitory at Sungei Tengah Lodge, where he handed about $1,000 to his colleague and roommate Khalik Md Abdul.

He told Mr Khalik to remit the money to his family in Bangladesh, and that he had killed somebody.

Ms Nurhidayati's body was found at about 10.15pm that day by a hotel receptionist.

The police arrested Ahmed at around 10.45am on Dec 31, 2018.

 

[Ralders]

They are called shits for a reason.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#13

Man jailed in August for Covid-19-related offences sentenced to 2 more years' jail for molestation

Sethu Selvaraj had chased after the victim and forcefully hugged her from behind.PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Shaffiq Alkhatib
Court Correspondent
PUBLISHED 15 DEC 2020

SINGAPORE - A man who was sentenced to 13 weeks' jail in August after he unlawfully left his home during the circuit breaker period in April will be spending more time behind bars following his guilty plea to an unrelated molestation charge.

Indian national Sethu Selvaraj, 44, who has completed his earlier jail term over offences under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act, was sentenced to two years' jail and two strokes of the cane on Tuesday (Dec 15) for molesting an Indonesian domestic helper.

The Singapore permanent resident was at a Bukit Panjang coffee shop at around 8pm on June 6 last year when he spotted the 37-year-old woman.

She was walking back to her employer's flat in Petir Road when Sethu tried to befriend her.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Shana Poon said: "While he was following the victim, the accused asked her for her name and mobile phone number.

"The victim told the accused her name and that she did not have a mobile phone. She then continued walking back to her employer's residence."

They were at the void deck of a block of flats when Sethu grabbed the helper's right hand and held on to it.

He also used his body to block her from going up a flight of stairs.

The court heard that the woman managed to free herself and run up the stairs.

Undaunted, Sethu chased after the victim and forcefully hugged her from behind on a landing between the first and second storeys.

He continued holding on to her as she struggled to break free, the court heard.

The terrified woman yelled for help and her cries caught the attention of an off-duty police officer who was in the vicinity.

The 34-year-old senior staff sergeant ran up the stairs and saw the pair.

Sethu was arrested after he finally released his grip on the woman.

On Tuesday, District Judge Marvin Bay said: "It is important that foreign domestic workers, a vulnerable class of persons, be adequately protected from sexual exploitation... It was fortuitous that the (police officer) was present (and) was sufficiently situationally aware to find out what was happening and... directly intervene."

For molestation, Sethu could have been jailed for up to 10 years and caned.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#14

Police warn against holding protests without permits in support of foreign causes

Protests in India in support of farmers have made waves on social media and are are rippling to countries with significant Indian diaspora communities.PHOTO: AFP

Ng Wei Kai

PUBLISHED 15 DEC 2020

SINGAPORE - Police are investigating protests held in several locations in Singapore in support of farmers in India.

Images of the protests, allegedly held without a police permit, were posted on social media but have subsequently been taken down.

In a statement on Tuesday (Dec 15), the police said organising or taking part in a public assembly without a police permit is illegal and an offence under the Public Order Act.

They further said they will not grant a permit for any assembly that advocates political causes of other countries.

"Foreigners visiting or living in Singapore should abide by our laws," said the police. "Those who break the law will be dealt with firmly, and this may include termination of visa or work passes, where applicable."

Farmers in Northern India have been protesting against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision in September to remove the system of government-run purchase of crops in a wholesale market, which had ensured a minimum price for their produce.

They say the move will hurt their livelihood, and have turned down proposals for discussions with the government.

Protesters have blockaded roads and the police have occasionally used tear gas to disperse them.

The protests have made waves on social media that are rippling beyond India's borders to countries with significant Indian diaspora communities.

On Monday, Al Jazeera reported that British Punjabis were protesting in London in solidarity with those farmers in their ancestral home in Punjab, a Northern Indian state described as the "bread basket of India".

The online report said: "Earlier this month, thousands of British Punjabis gathered outside the High Commission of India in central London, in support of the striking farmers, or 'kisaan' as they are known in Punjabi.

 

[syed putra]

Minister of Science Technology & Innovation : Vanmitha Is Going To be An Astronaut

Here is a fantastic story. There is something called the Career Astronaut Competition run by some (American?) outfit called AdvancingX. Sounds like an Elon Musk outfit.
It is a competition that is spread over FIVE years and over a few stages to select career astronauts to participate in space programs. You can read more about it here .
Here is a gist :




The Career Astronaut competition offers STEM and art focused individuals from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to experience space training, potential space travel and opportunities for space related careers.
Identifying Career Astronauts is a 5-year competitive process designed as a part-time program that can easily fit within most work or school schedules.
Candidates get the opportunity to take part in the largest optimal team design research and training to ever take place anywhere in the world.
Some of these challenges will take Career Astronaut Candidates into extinct lava tunnels, to remote research labs, and deep underwater.
Candidates will learn team skills, survival strategies, and astronaut training techniques that will prepare them for space flight.
As candidates move forward through the competition they will be faced with several carefully designed challenges to help identify and measure team cognitive functional characteristics capable of taking on extreme environment circumstances like those found in space.
Challenges include social engagements, survival, and simulated zero gravity tasks designed to prepare Career Astronauts for not only missions in suborbital space, on the moon, or beyond but to also work together as a team.
In addition to the knowledge, skills and abilities obtained from the Career Astronaut competition, one team of four will be selected for a trip to suborbital space!
Well what do you know - there is a Malaysian candidate who is a participant in this Career Astronaut Competition and "she" has already passed Stage 1 and is now headed for Stage 2. Her name is Vanmitha Athimoolam.
Vanmitha was born in Ipoh in 2000 and raised in Klang. She attended SJK (T) Simpang Lima and later scored 10As in her SPM in 2017. Post-SPM she attended Kelantan Matriculation College. She is now a second year student at USM Penang doing a Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering
Here is a short video of Vanmitha Athimoolam :




You can see that Vanmitha is determined to her give her best space shot for her space career.
This is really interesting news. The world has not only shrunk but it is fully connected. Vanmitha is going to space through the Internet.
I would like to wish Vanmitha Athimoolam success in Stage 2 and that she gets selected as a Career Astronaut.
We are all fully behind you Vanmitha. Do us proud. Syabas.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#15

Former Shell employee admits to involvement in gas oil misappropriation worth $49 million

Sadagopan Premnath pleaded guilty to four charges of conspiring to misappropriate gas oil from the company.ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

Jean Iau

PUBLISHED 15 DEC 2020

SINGAPORE - A former employee of oil giant Shell Eastern Petroleum on Tuesday (Dec 15) admitted to being involved in a conspiracy to misappropriate about US$36.1 million (S$49.1 million) worth of gas oil.

Indian national Sadagopan Premnath, 40, pleaded guilty to four charges of conspiring to misappropriate gas oil from the company. Five other similar charges will be taken into consideration during his sentencing.

Sadagopan received about US$150,000 for his involvement in the plot and has not made restitution to Shell.

On Tuesday, Deputy Public Prosecutor Christopher Ong described the scheme as "a long-term and large-scale conspiracy to misappropriate gas oil from the Shell Pulau Bukom manufacturing site."

The court heard that the conspiracy took place over two periods between 2007 and 2018, during which gas oil was taken from Shell's refinery in Pulau Bukom, the largest petrochemical production and export centre in the Asia-Pacific region.

Sadagopan was involved in the scheme between 2017 and 2018.

He was employed by Shell around 2012 and his duties included manually opening or closing large valves, or operating the black oil control panels that digitally controlled the movement of valves.

His basic salary was about $2,400 a month, and $3,400 with shift allowances. With overtime work, he was paid about $4,000 monthly.

He had six co-conspirators who were employed by Shell Pulau Bukom and were part of his work team.

They targeted vessels with Vietnamese and Greek captains to conduct illegal oil trading. According to one of the co-conspirators, Juandi Pungot, it was well-known in the industry that such people would readily conduct illegal oil trading.

They would approach the captains of Vietnamese vessels on an ad-hoc basis, and ask if they were interested in performing illegal loadings.

In mid-2017, Juandi recruited Sadagopan into the syndicate. He agreed to join partly because he was worried that the more senior colleagues might otherwise treat him with hostility.

According to court documents, Sadagopan's primary role was to open or close the necessary valves using the black oil panel, as directed by his co-conspirators.

Initially, he would be told by the more senior ones to move away from the panel that he was operating and let one of them take over control.

Eventually, he controlled the panel based on the instructions from the more senior co-conspirators, who told him when to open and shut the valves to avoid detection.

He was often accompanied by a more senior person since he was less familiar with operating the system.

The group was able to avoid detection for so long through several measures.

For example, they configured the flow of misappropriated gas oil through carefully planned routes and ensured multiple pumps and tanks were moving at the same time, including unnecessary tank-to-tank transfers. They also shifted the production of gas oil into the same tank they took from, and timed the misappropriation with the legitimate loading of gas oil so as to not arouse suspicion.

According to court documents, Sadagopan did not know who bought the misappropriated gas oil.

He is scheduled to be in court for mitigation and sentencing on Feb 18 next year.

For each charge of criminal breach of trust, an offender can be jailed for up to 15 years and fined.