Police to charge building owner for abetting unlicensed massage business
Posted: 27 April 2010 1424 hrs
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SINGAPORE: The police will be charging the owner of a unit in a commercial building along Middle Road for abetting the operation of an unlicensed massage business. Police said the owner had continued to allow the premises to be used for unlicensed massage operations despite having been previously advised. They said they found female foreign nationals providing massage services to male customers when checks on the unit were conducted in January and March.
As the operator did not have a valid licence to carry on the massage services, he was summoned. The owner of the unit was also informed and advised to take precautionary measures to prevent this from happening again. However, when the police conducted checks on the same unit on April 25, unlicensed massage services were again detected. The operator of the business was charged and fined.
The unit's owner will be charged in court tomorrow for abetting by intentionally helping the operator to carry a massage establishment without a valid licence, an offence under the Penal Code. Any person convicted of this offence shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding S$1,000. Commander of Central Police Division, Lau Peet Meng, said sleaze has no place in Singapore society. He said owners have a responsibility to ensure that their premises are not used for illegal activities.
- CNA/jy
