Ah nehs...

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3 months’ jail for man who molested 12-year-old girl at Jalan Besar Swimming Complex​

Nadine Chua
May 16, 2025

SINGAPORE - A tourist who molested a 12-year-old girl at a swimming pool and tried to pull her into the toilet with him was sentenced to three months’ jail on May 16.

Indian national Pramender, 25, who goes by one name, pleaded guilty to molesting the girl and attempting to obtain an indecent act from her.

The girl, now 13, cannot be named due to a gag order to protect her identity.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Ashley Chin said Pramender’s offences took place on March 31 at Jalan Besar Swimming Complex, where the girl was swimming with her cousins.

After her swim at around 6pm, she noticed Pramender staring at her. She walked to the female toilet and saw him following her.

He caught up with her and asked her to follow him on Instagram. She declined, but he took her phone, which was unlocked, and used it to key in his details on the social media platform.

Pramender gave her a side hug, causing the towel she had wrapped around her body to fall off her shoulder, resulting in direct contact between them.

Despite the girl’s shock, Pramender asked her to go into the female toilet with him. He then tried to pull her to the toilet, but she resisted.

He went into the toilet alone and called out to her, urging her to join him there.

She refused, and replied that she needed to return to her family and asked her female cousin to accompany her to the toilet.

After both girls entered the toilet, Pramender loitered outside.

The cousin asked him to leave and stood at the toilet’s entrance to stop him from entering.

DPP Chin said Pramender sent the girl 13 messages and two audio call requests on Instagram, telling her he liked her and that he was waiting for her.

Pramender sent the girl 13 messages and two audio call requests on Instagram, telling her he liked her and that he was waiting for her.PHOTO: COURT DOCUMENTS
Frightened by the messages, the girl and her cousin informed the lifeguard on duty and a police report was made.

Seeking two to three months’ jail, DPP Chin said there was some degree of sexual exploitation and harm done to the victim, who was young and vulnerable.

The prosecutor added: “There were clear, intentional and repeated attempts to procure some type of sexual gratification from the victim. He even attempted to pull her into the toilet.”

In mitigation, Pramender, who was unrepresented, apologised for his actions.

He told District Judge Chay Yuen Fatt: “I just ask for forgiveness, Your Honour. I have already apologised to the girl’s family. My mother is a cancer patient, and I’d like to return to India as soon as possible.”

In sentencing, Judge Chay referred to Pramender’s acts as persistent and predatory advances and highlighted the young age of the victim, who was shocked and frightened by what he had done.

Those convicted of molesting a child below 14 years old can be jailed for up to five years, fined, caned, or receive any combination of such punishments.

Outrage of modesty was one of the top crimes of concern in 2024 with shop theft, and voyeurism.

The number of outrage of modesty cases fell by 6.6 per cent from 1,528 in 2023 to 1,427 in 2024.

 

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Jail for shipping firm ex-foreman who bribed security officer when smuggling cigarettes into S’pore​

Christine Tan
Dec 19, 2024

SINGAPORE – A former foreman and several workers at a shipping company operated in a criminal syndicate to smuggle contraband cigarettes from overseas, which they sold surreptitiously at the Penjuru Terminal in Jurong over at least two years.

They unloaded duty-unpaid cigarettes from vessels docked at the terminal, and bribed a security officer at the terminal to allow the cigarettes to pass through without scrutiny.

The former foreman, Theku Raja Suresh, 41, was sentenced to eight weeks’ jail after he pleaded guilty on Dec 19 to two counts of abetting corruption. Two similar charges were taken into consideration for his sentencing.

The court heard that the Indian national worked at Eng Hup Shipping. He was initially a mooring crew member and was promoted to foreman in 2015.

He was part of a contraband cigarette syndicate that consisted of at least eight members, including his colleagues Rathnakumar Deepan and Vadivalu Dharman.

Ahmad Khamis, 64, who was a senior security officer at Pico Guards from 2020 to 2021, was deployed at the terminal to control personnel movement and ensure that contraband material was not brought into Singapore.

Outlining the smuggling process, Deputy Public Prosecutor Andrew Chia said members of the syndicate would receive news that the cigarettes would be onboard a particular vessel berthing at the terminal.

Theku would then ensure that the mooring crew deployed to that vessel would consist of members of the syndicate.

The syndicate members would offload the cigarettes – typically contained in black trash bags – and transport them to the mooring crew changing room area.

They would then load the cigarettes onto a buggy car and drive it to the terminal’s rubbish chute area. To reach there, the car would have to go past the main guardhouse where Ahmad was.

DPP Chia said the syndicate members would inform Ahmad when the contraband cigarettes would be arriving at the terminal, and the security officer would make arrangements to be on duty then.

When he saw the buggy car arriving, Ahmad would automatically lift the security barrier to allow it to pass through.

The syndicate members would sell the cigarettes to buyers at the rubbish chute area, where there was no CCTV. They subsequently split the profits.

Each time Ahmad helped the syndicate, he would be paid between $50 and $200 on the same or following day.

From 2020 to 2021, Theku helped Rathnakumar and Vadivalu to pass between $50 and $150 to Ahmad at the guardhouse on each of six occasions.

Theku was arrested on Feb 3, 2023, by officers from the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).

For his role in the scheme, Theku received at least $2,350 out of the profits made by the syndicate. CPIB said Ahmad obtained at least $4,750 in bribes.

Theku pleaded for a lighter sentence in his mitigation, citing his unemployment for the past two years due to ongoing investigations.

Court documents did not disclose the outcome of the cases involving Vadivalu and Rathnakumar.

Ahmad is facing 13 graft charges and two other charges under the Customs Act linked to the contraband cigarettes. He is expected to plead guilty on Jan 3, 2025.