Man charged with getting others to take rap for friends' summons

[Akuma]

Man charged with getting others to take rap for friends' summons

Published on Jul 24, 2012

Seah Hock Thiam, 45, is accused of abetting his driver to get two others to take the rap for his friends, who had received letters from the Traffic Police over parking offences. -- ST PHOTOS: WONG KWAI CHOW

By Elena Chong

When two businessmen received summons for parking their cars illegally, a friend stepped in and offered to help.

Now that friend, Seah Hock Thiam - who runs his own scrap metal firm - is in trouble.

The 45-year-old president of Esun International, was charged with two counts of abetting his driver to get two others to take the rap for his friends.

One of those friends, Mr Ong Pang Aik - who is chairman and managing director of construction firm Lian Beng Group - took the stand in court on Monday as a prosecution witness.

Read the full story in Tuesday's edition of The Straits Times.

 

[Akuma]

Businessman says he never asked friend to find scapegoat

Published on Jul 25, 2012

Businessman Ong Pang Aik told a district court on Tuesday that he had never at any time asked a friend to find substitutes to take the rap for his illegal parking offence. -- ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG

By Elena Chong

A businessman told a district court on Tuesday that he had never at any time asked a friend to find substitutes to take the rap for his illegal parking offence.

Mr Ong Pang Aik, 54, boss of mainboard-listed Lian Beng Group, whose Maserati sports car was booked for the traffic offence, confirmed that Seah Hock Thiam neither sought any money nor reimbursement from him in connection with the traffic offence.

He agreed with the 45-year-old's lawyer Selva K. Naidu that Seah stood to gain nothing from him in taking the risk of getting substitutes to take the blame for the parking offence.

Both men also had no business dealings.

Read the full story in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.

 

[hokkien]

Bro lianbeng you got shares in the group?

 

[Eomer]

Boss of recycling company denies charges

AsiaOne
Monday, Sep 17, 2012

The 45-year-old president of Esun International has denied asking his personal driver to take the rap for traffic offences committed by his friends, The Straits Times reported.

On Monday, Seah Hock Thiam, the boss of a gold and metal recycling company, defended allegations that he asked his driver, Mr Mohamad Azmi Abdul Wahab, 40, to get Mr Azmi's friend, driver Salami Badrus, and aunt Rosniwati Jumani to take the blame for the parking offences.

These offences were committed by Seah's friends, Mr John Ho Ah huat, then chief executive of video entertainment company Scorpio East Holdings, and Mr Ong Pang Aik, chairman of construction company Lian Beng Construction.

Both had parked their Porsche and Maserati illegally along Simon Road on Aug 12, 2009 and subsequently received letters from the Traffic Police.

Mr Ong then faxed these letters to Seah, who then handed it to Mr Azmi to settle.

Last week, Mr Azmi testified that he had, on his own accord, filled in the request for the driver's particulars with Mr Salami and the housewife's name. (rejigged for a better read)

Seah told the court that he had no idea how Mr Azmi was going to settle the summons, but said the driver would just have to pay the fine and the case would be settled.

On May 11, Seah denied the contents in his statement to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau.

The defence case is that the statement that Seah had made on May 11 is a cut-and-paste job of the earlier statement he made on May 4.

Upon being asked by his lawyer Sleva K. Naidu if he would benefit anything from these episode, Seah replied "Nothing."

The trial continues. [email protected]

 

[Alto Saotome]

Man jailed for abetting 'scapegoats' to take traffic offences rap

By Kimberly Spykerman | Posted: 20 November 2012 1448 hrs

SINGAPORE: Seah Hock Thiam, who once championed the Yellow Ribbon Project which helps reformed offenders start afresh, was on Tuesday jailed six weeks for abetting his driver to get someone to take the rap for his friends' traffic offences.

Seah, who is the chairman of several companies, including Esun International, is also an ambassador for the Industrial & Services Co-operative Society, one of the agencies that started the Yellow Ribbon Project.

The 45-year-old instigated his driver, Mr Mohamad Azmi Abdul Wahab, in August 2009 to engage two 'scapegoats' -- Salami Badrus and Rosniwati Jumani -- to assume criminal liability for parking offences that were committed by his friends, Mr Ho Ah Huat and Mr Ong Pang Aik.

The offences each carried a S$120 fine and three demerit points.

Mr Ho is the former chief executive officer of Scorpio East Entertainment, while Mr Ong is the chairman and managing director of construction firm Lian Beng Group.

Seah claimed trial in July 2012.

During the trial, Seah's driver, Mohamad Azmi testified that Seah had asked him to "settle" the traffic offences. He said he agreed to help because Seah had been "very supportive" of him as his employer.

Each of the 'scapegoats' was paid about S$300.

In meting out the sentence, the district judge noted features of Seah's case that distinguished itself from the case involving prominent plastic surgeon Woffles Wu Tze Liang.

In June, Wu was ordered to pay the maximum fine of S$1,000 for getting an elderly employee to take the rap for him for a speeding offence. The 52-year-old had abetted Mr Kuan Kit Wah, then 76, to provide false information to the police.

The judge noted that in Wu's case, there was no indication that any monetary rewards had been given by him, whereas in Seah's case, he had paid money to the 'scapegoats'.

Also, Wu had pleaded guilty, whereas Seah, who faced more serious charges, claimed trial.

The judge added: "The offences in this case undermine the points demerit system... A deterrent sentence is called for to deter others from committing the same offence."

However, the judge noted that Seah's contributions to charitable organisations and community work were taken into consideration in sentencing.

Seah's lawyer told the court that he will file an appeal.

He could have been jailed up to seven years and fined for each charge.

-CNA/ac