http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v6/newsgeneral.php?id=650974
Foreigners Accused Of Violating Laws In Singapore Will Be Similarly Dealt - Teo
SINGAPORE, March 8 (Bernama) -- All accused persons were treated in the same manner, regardless of whether they were Singaporeans or foreigners, said Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs, Teo Chee Hean.
"As set out in the Criminal Procedure Code, there is a standard set of procedures for the handling of accused persons, whatever their nationality, from arrest, to investigation, to charging them in court, and to police bail," he said in an oral answer to Parliamentary Questions here Thursday.
Teo was responding to questions posed by MP for Marine Parade, Tin Pei Ling, on a case involving three foreigners assaulting Singaporeans outside Suntec City Convention Centre in April 2010.
-- BERNAMA
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20120308-332389.html
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DPM Teo answers enquiries on foreigners who jumped bail
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Thursday, Mar 08, 2012
SINGAPORE - Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean today addressed MP Tin Pei Ling's enquiries on the case of two foreigners who absconded while on bail.
Minister Teo Thursday said in Parliament today that an inquiry is ongoing to investigate if there was any mismanagement of the case.
"If there were any lapses or negligence, Police will take appropriate disciplinary action against the officers involved," said Mr Teo.
RELATED STORIES
Expats who jump bail: We will bring them to justice
One more expat jumps bail and flees
The two, Robert Dahlberg and Robert James Springall, were charged with assaulting a Singaporean outside Suntec City Convention Centre in April 2010.
Together with Nathan Robert Miller, the three were said to be drunk when they abused two taxi drivers, two taxi passengers and also hijacked and then crashed a taxi in the early hours on April 11.
Expecting the inquiry to be completed next month, DPM Teo said warrants of arrest have been issued against Dahlberg and Springall who left Singapore.
"Police will work closely with INTERPOL and its overseas counterparts to locate the two men and bring them back to face the charges that have been laid against them," he added.
He pointed out that their extradition would depend on several factors including if Singapore has an extradition treaty or arrangement with the country the accused have fled to, and whether the offence committed by the person is an extraditable offence.
Miss Tin also asked Minister Teo about the assessment of foreigners for flight risk, the measures taken to prevent such foreigners from absconding and the criteria applied in the assessment of whether extradition proceedings against such foreigners who have fled jurisdiction will be commenced.
In reply, he emphasised that there is a standard set of procedures for the handling of accused persons, whatever their nationality, from arrest, to investigation, to charging them in court, and to police bail.
Outlining the procedure, he said the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) gives Police the powers to ask an accused person to surrender his passport as a condition of bail or personal bond.
DPM Teo said: "For accused persons who are assessed to be a flight risk, Police will set the bail or bond, commonly referred to as 'police bail', at a higher amount. This is during the investigation phase."
"Flight risk is assessed holistically, taking into account multiple factors such as whether the accused person has roots in Singapore and the extent of these roots, the gravity of the offence, the behaviour of the accused person in the course of investigations and whether the person had attempted to abscond previously.
"Once a person is charged in Court, discretion on whether to release the accused person on bail, as well as the conditions of bail, is with the Courts. This is commonly known as 'court bail'."
He added that Police would flag accused persons are likely flight risks, and request the Courts to set bail at a higher amount.
Police may also request that the passport of the accused person be impounded as a condition of bail.
Ms Tin however, felt that more could be done to keep accused foreigners from leaving Singapore.
She suggested that the Government put a law or standard operating procedure (SOP) in place to impound the passports of accused foreigners regardless of their characteristics or flight risk assessment.
Mr Teo pointed out that this particular case illustrates the challenges of ensuring that accused persons, whether they are Singaporeans or foreigners facing trial, do not abscond.
He said: "As they have not yet been convicted of a crime, the presumption of innocence limits how far we can restrict their movements. And ultimately the discretion rests with the courts to decide whether an accused person should be allowed to leave jurisdiction, taking into account submissions by both the prosecution and the defence."
"So the accused, as Ms Tin has pointed out, has not been convicted yet. Of course if he has been convicted, then that's quite clear cut. But if he has not been convicted yet, then we have to balance the different requirements."
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Foreigners Accused Of Violating Laws In Singapore Will Be Similarly Dealt - Teo
SINGAPORE, March 8 (Bernama) -- All accused persons were treated in the same manner, regardless of whether they were Singaporeans or foreigners, said Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs, Teo Chee Hean.
"As set out in the Criminal Procedure Code, there is a standard set of procedures for the handling of accused persons, whatever their nationality, from arrest, to investigation, to charging them in court, and to police bail," he said in an oral answer to Parliamentary Questions here Thursday.
Teo was responding to questions posed by MP for Marine Parade, Tin Pei Ling, on a case involving three foreigners assaulting Singaporeans outside Suntec City Convention Centre in April 2010.
-- BERNAMA
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20120308-332389.html
ASIAONE
NEWS
SINGAPORE
DPM Teo answers enquiries on foreigners who jumped bail
Tweet
AsiaOne
Thursday, Mar 08, 2012
SINGAPORE - Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean today addressed MP Tin Pei Ling's enquiries on the case of two foreigners who absconded while on bail.
Minister Teo Thursday said in Parliament today that an inquiry is ongoing to investigate if there was any mismanagement of the case.
"If there were any lapses or negligence, Police will take appropriate disciplinary action against the officers involved," said Mr Teo.
RELATED STORIES
Expats who jump bail: We will bring them to justice
One more expat jumps bail and flees
The two, Robert Dahlberg and Robert James Springall, were charged with assaulting a Singaporean outside Suntec City Convention Centre in April 2010.
Together with Nathan Robert Miller, the three were said to be drunk when they abused two taxi drivers, two taxi passengers and also hijacked and then crashed a taxi in the early hours on April 11.
Expecting the inquiry to be completed next month, DPM Teo said warrants of arrest have been issued against Dahlberg and Springall who left Singapore.
"Police will work closely with INTERPOL and its overseas counterparts to locate the two men and bring them back to face the charges that have been laid against them," he added.
He pointed out that their extradition would depend on several factors including if Singapore has an extradition treaty or arrangement with the country the accused have fled to, and whether the offence committed by the person is an extraditable offence.
Miss Tin also asked Minister Teo about the assessment of foreigners for flight risk, the measures taken to prevent such foreigners from absconding and the criteria applied in the assessment of whether extradition proceedings against such foreigners who have fled jurisdiction will be commenced.
In reply, he emphasised that there is a standard set of procedures for the handling of accused persons, whatever their nationality, from arrest, to investigation, to charging them in court, and to police bail.
Outlining the procedure, he said the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) gives Police the powers to ask an accused person to surrender his passport as a condition of bail or personal bond.
DPM Teo said: "For accused persons who are assessed to be a flight risk, Police will set the bail or bond, commonly referred to as 'police bail', at a higher amount. This is during the investigation phase."
"Flight risk is assessed holistically, taking into account multiple factors such as whether the accused person has roots in Singapore and the extent of these roots, the gravity of the offence, the behaviour of the accused person in the course of investigations and whether the person had attempted to abscond previously.
"Once a person is charged in Court, discretion on whether to release the accused person on bail, as well as the conditions of bail, is with the Courts. This is commonly known as 'court bail'."
He added that Police would flag accused persons are likely flight risks, and request the Courts to set bail at a higher amount.
Police may also request that the passport of the accused person be impounded as a condition of bail.
Ms Tin however, felt that more could be done to keep accused foreigners from leaving Singapore.
She suggested that the Government put a law or standard operating procedure (SOP) in place to impound the passports of accused foreigners regardless of their characteristics or flight risk assessment.
Mr Teo pointed out that this particular case illustrates the challenges of ensuring that accused persons, whether they are Singaporeans or foreigners facing trial, do not abscond.
He said: "As they have not yet been convicted of a crime, the presumption of innocence limits how far we can restrict their movements. And ultimately the discretion rests with the courts to decide whether an accused person should be allowed to leave jurisdiction, taking into account submissions by both the prosecution and the defence."
"So the accused, as Ms Tin has pointed out, has not been convicted yet. Of course if he has been convicted, then that's quite clear cut. But if he has not been convicted yet, then we have to balance the different requirements."
[email protected]
