MBS Armed Robbery got away FREE in Court

[kangaroo.corpse]

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1155059/1/.html

Application for discharge in MBS armed robbery case
By Shaffiq Alkhatib | Posted: 23 September 2011 1456 hrs


Photos 1 of 1






SINGAPORE: The prosecution has made an application for a man, accused of armed robbery at Marina Bay Sands (MBS), to be given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal.

Octavius Tok Tien Howe had been charged earlier this year with robbing a managing director, Mr Gay Choon Hooi, of S$450,000 while armed with a knife in a hotel room on April 14.

The unemployed Tok was accused of working together with an alleged accomplice, Neo Ek Khiang, who is still at large.

The court heard the prosecution cannot proceed with the case as it now stands.

Deputy public prosecutor, Sanjiv Vaswani, said Mr Neo had left the country soon after the alleged offence and the authorities do not know where he is.

Defence counsel, Subhas Anandan, however, objected to the application, saying the prosecution had known from the start that Mr Neo was no longer in town.

The lawyer stressed that his client had been arrested in April and was remanded for three months before he was released on a S$200,000 bail.

Mr Anandan also said he had requested for a first information report about the case in May and still had not received it.

Such reports are written documents prepared by the police when they receive information about offences.

Mr Anandan told District Judge Eddy Tham that if he did not receive the report soon, he would take a criminal motion in the High Court, adding that the prosecution's conduct was "unsatisfactory".

Mr Anandan said his client was also contemplating making a complaint of malicious prosecution against Mr Gay and the police.

The case has been adjourned to September 28.

In June, it was reported the High Court had ordered Mr Tok to pay MBS his bill which came up to S$619,000, incurred during a 23-day stay there.

He had racked up these expenses between March and April, this year, days before the alleged robbery.

With this ruling, MBS can now recover the money from Mr Tok's assets.

- CNA/ck

 

[psy83]

Singapore law is really very Weird.. Lots of the Punishment/Fine isnt Fair and Equal across the board.. inc. The people standing in the docks.

 

[psy83]

By Elena Chong

A Filipino national, who was originally accused of attempted armed robbery at a fast-food restaurant, was jailed for five months on Friday for being found armed with a bread knife.

Porte Gerald Christian Magsalubong, 30, admitted to the reduced charge of being found with the dangerous weapon at Burger King outlet in International Plaza, Anson Road, on Jun 8.

The court heard that the waiter and a fellow flatmate, Charlie Cabo Perez, 32, hatched a plan to rob the Burger King outlet at Anson Road.

The plan was to wear caps which would cover the top half of their faces while donning surgical masks.

 

[Char_Azn]

SG law is same as most 1st world countries. Same law applies to everyone but the rich benefit coz they higher better lawyers who put up better argument. Not so rich pple get stuck with mediocre lawyers and hope they come up with the right argument against a CMI prosecutor.

 

[no_faith]

but the rich benefit coz they higher better lawyers who put up better argument.

higher?

 

[youallhumsup]

Man discharged for $450k armed robbery at Marina Bay Sands

Published on Sep 28, 2011

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Octavius Tok Tien Howe, 37, was given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal on Wednesday. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW

By Elena Chong

A man accused of a $450,000 armed robbery at Marina Bay Sands was given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal on Wednesday.

Octavius Tok Tien Howe, 37, had been charged in April with robbing businessman Gay Choon Hooi, 46, of $450,000 at knifepoint with one Neo Ek Khiang at a hotel room in MBS on April 14 this year.

District Judge Eddy Tham who heard submissions from prosecution and defence granted said there was no improper motive on the prosecution. He found that the defence had not rebutted the presumption in favour of a discharge not amounting to an acquittal in this case.

Tok's lawyer Subhas Anandan had objected to the application.

He said that his client had been remanded for a considerable period of time, and that he had not been able to see the first information report. A copy of the report was furnished to him on Monday.

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