Ex-sportsman hit Cisco officer

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Singapore
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Dec 29, 2009

Ex-sportsman hit Cisco officer

<!-- by line --> By Khushwant Singh
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Wilson Raj Perumal, 44, pleaded guilty to ramming his body against two Certis Cisco officers to get to a car, and then trying to run one of them down while driving off on May 16 this year. -- PHOTO: POLICE

<!-- story content : start --> A FORMER sportsman, who was a central figure in the match-fixing scandals that hit local soccer in the late 1990s and 2000, was in court on Tuesday.
Wilson Raj Perumal, 44, pleaded guilty to ramming his body against two Certis Cisco officers to get to a car, and then trying to run one of them down while driving off on May 16 this year. Investigations also revealed that he did not have a driving licence and had abused an officer with English and Hokkien vulgarities. Now an events manager, Wilson Raj pleaded guilty on Tuesday and will be sentenced on Jan 27. The officer's injuries included a bruised knee and a sore right shoulder and he required three days' medical leave.

 

[Ginchiyo Tachibana]

Accused challenges guilty plea


Singapore
Feb 17, 2010

Accused challenges guilty plea

Guilty plea invalid as punishment was not explained fully, says lawyer

<!-- by line --> By Khushwant Singh

THE new lawyer for Wilson Raj Perumal told a district court on Wednesday that his client was not told that he could be sent for corrective training before he pleaded guilty in December last year. 'Since the penalties and consequences of the guilty plea was not fully explained to my client, that plea is invalid,' said Mr Subhas Anandan. This was especially significant as the corrective training sentence is longer than the maximum prison terms for the offences, he added.

Wilson Raj, 44, an events manager, had pleaded guilty to ramming his body against a Certis Cisco officer, and then injuring the officer while driving off last May. He could have been jailed for up to four years for driving his car into the officer. Wilson Raj also admitted to driving without a licence and insurance.

At a hearing two weeks later, the prosecution argued successfully for corrective training to be considered as Wilson Raj had accumulated more than a dozen convictions since 1983. Meant for recalcitrants, corrective training can last between five and 14 years. District Judge F.G. Remedios adjourned the matter till Feb 24 for the prosecution to prepare arguments that the plea should stand. Wilson Raj was released on $40,000 bail.

 

[Tadakatsu Honda]

Event manager jailed 5 years

Singapore
Feb 24, 2010

Event manager jailed 5 years

<!-- by line --> By Khushwant Singh
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WILSON Raj Perumal was jailed on Wednesday for five years' corrective training for hurling himself against an auxiliary police officer and then injuring the officer by hitting him as he drove off in his car. The event manager, 44, was also fined a total of $2,000 for driving with licence and without insurance. All the offences were committed along a road in front of a departure hall at Changi Airport on the evening of May 16 last year. He is appealing against the sentence as well as the judge's decision not to allow him to retract the guilty plea he entered in December. His lawyer Subhas Anandanhad argued that his client was not told by the court that corrective training was a possible outcome of his admission of guilt. But the prosecutors pointed out that the defence team was aware that corrective training was a punishment option considering Wilson Raj's 13 past convictions, including those for theft and fixing football matches, going back to 1983. Wilson Raj, who is out on $80,000 bail, told The Straits Times: 'I don't deserve corrective training and let's see if the High Court agrees.'