Three Filipino maid charged with helping loansharks

[Vultan]

Three Filipino maid charged with helping loansharks
By Shaffiq Alkhatib | Posted: 13 January 2011 1451 hrs
<table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="260"> <tbody><tr> <td align="right" width="20">
</td> <td align="right" width="240">

</td> </tr> <tr> <td height="60" valign="top">
</td> <td class="update" height="80" valign="top"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td bgcolor="#f6f6f6" width="138">Photos </td> <td bgcolor="#f6f6f6" width="47">1 of 1</td> <td bgcolor="#f6f6f6" width="18"><input disabled="disabled" id="btnPrev" value="<< Previous" src="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/butt_previous.gif" height="15" type="image" width="18"></td> <td bgcolor="#f6f6f6" width="19"><input id="bntPlay" value="Play - Stop" src="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/butt_stop.gif" height="15" type="image" width="19"></td> <td bgcolor="#f6f6f6" width="18"><input disabled="disabled" id="btnNext" value=" Next >> " src="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/butt_next.gif" height="15" type="image" width="18"></td> </tr> </tbody></table>

</td> </tr> <tr> <td>
</td> <td class="update">
</td> </tr> <tr> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
SINGAPORE: Three Filipino maids have been charged with helping illegal moneylenders run their business.

Two of them, 27-year-old Honey Irene Busto Pande and 36-year-old Amparo Cacayuran Gayo allegedly helped 69-year-old Singaporean Lawrence Yeo in issuing a three hundred dollars loan to another Filipino maid.

This allegedly happened at Rio Vista condominium at Upper Serangoon View on July 25, last year.

Pande is also accused of helping Mr Yeo issue a loan of three hundred dollars to Gayo at the same condominium on June 16.

Mr Yeo hasn't been charged yet in court.

Separately, 28-year-old Melanie Jacalan Munar is the third maid accused of committing the offence.

Also charged with carrying out a loansharking business is 47-year-old Koh Suat Lay, a Singaporean woman.

The pair had allegedly issued a loan of five hundred dollars to a Filipino maid at Lucky Plaza in February, last year.

The loan had an interest rate of 50 per cent and was repayable over three months.

The four women will be remanded at the Central Police Division and will be back in court next Thursday.

If convicted of being part of illegal moneylending businesses, they can be jailed up to four years and fined between $30,000 and $300,000 dollars.

- CNA/fa

 

[Space Invaders]

Jan 13, 2011

Maids and employer charged with loansharking

By Elena Chong

Three Filipino maids and a Singaporean woman were charged in court with operating unlicensed moneylending businesses. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND LIM

THREE Filipino maids and a Singaporean woman were charged in court on Thursday with operating unlicensed moneylending businesses.

Honey Irene Busto Pande, 27, Amparo Cacayuran Gayo, 36, Melanie Jacalan Munar, 28, and Koh Suat Lay, 47, were remanded for a week for permission to take them out for investigation.

Honey allegedly helped one Lawrence Yeo to carry out business as a loanshark at an Upper Serangoon View condominium by issuing a $300-loan to Amparo on June 16 last year at an interest rate of 15 per cent.

Amparo is accused of conspiring with Honey and Yeo by helping Honey to give out a $300-loan to Ms Lorelie Marie Vidal Amito at 20 per cent interest on July 25 last year.

Melanie allegedly helped Koh, her employer, to issue a loan of $500 to Ms Elizabeth Manuel Lasquite at 50 per cent interest repayable over three months at Lucky Plaza in February last year.

Koh is said to have operated as an illegal moneylender by issuing the $500-loan to Ms Lasquite.

 

[Balrog]

Jan 14, 2011

Maids and employer charged with loansharking

By Elena Chong

Koh Suat Lay (left), 47, faces charges of operating as an unlicensed moneylender. her maid Melanie Jacalan Munar (centre, in pink), 28, seated with another of the accused, also faces illegal moneylending charges. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW

A SINGAPOREAN employer and her Filipino maid were among four people charged on Thursday with giving unlicensed loans at an interest rate of up to 50 per cent.

It is believed to be the first time that an employer-employee pair has been brought to court to face illegal moneylending charges.

The duo are also believed to have issued loans to about 40 domestic helpers since January 2009, according to a police statement issued on Wednesday.

Koh Suat Lay, 47, faced charges of operating as an unlicensed moneylender by issuing a $500 loan - through her maid Melanie Jacalan Munar, 28 - to another Filipino maid Elizabeth Manuel Lasquite.

The loan was issued at an interest rate of 50 per cent repayable over three months.

Munar is said to have helped Koh by giving the loan to Ms Lasquite at Lucky Plaza in February last year.

Read the full story in Friday's edition of The Straits Times.
[email protected]

 

[Ganesha]

all these FT is really getting out of hand. low crime doesnt mean no crime.... Sigh

 

[Darth Maul]

Loanshark maids face additional charges
By Shaffiq Alkhatib | Posted: 20 January 2011 1513 hrs
<table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="260"> <tbody><tr> <td align="right" width="20"></td> <td align="right" width="240">

</td> </tr> <tr> <td height="60" valign="top"></td> <td class="update" height="80" valign="top"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td bgcolor="#f6f6f6" width="138">Photos </td> <td bgcolor="#f6f6f6" width="47">1 of 1</td> <td bgcolor="#f6f6f6" width="18"><input disabled="disabled" id="btnPrev" value="<< Previous" src="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/butt_previous.gif" height="15" type="image" width="18"></td> <td bgcolor="#f6f6f6" width="19"><input id="bntPlay" value="Play - Stop" src="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/butt_stop.gif" height="15" type="image" width="19"></td> <td bgcolor="#f6f6f6" width="18"><input disabled="disabled" id="btnNext" value=" Next >> " src="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/butt_next.gif" height="15" type="image" width="18"></td> </tr> </tbody></table>

</td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td class="update"></td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td>
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
SINGAPORE: Three Filipino maids and a Singaporean woman, accused of being involved in loansharking activities, faced additional charges in court on Thursday.

Twenty-eight-year-old Melanie Jacalan Munar and her employer, 47-year-old Koh Suat Lay now face seven charges each.

Both of them allegedly worked together to issue loans totalling S$3,100 between early 2008 and November last year.

The loans are believed to be issued to four other maids at Lucky Plaza shopping centre, a popular weekend hangout for Filipino domestic workers.

Court papers state that the loans had an interest rate of up to 50 per cent each and were repayable over one to six months.

Separately, 27-year-old Honey Irene Busto Pande, is now accused of seven counts of helping to carry out the business of illegal moneylending.

She allegedly worked together with 69-year-old Singaporean man Lawrence Yeo.

It is believed loans totalling S$2,200 were issued to seven other Filipino maids between June and July last year.

They were allegedly issued at places including Upper Serangoon View and Bukit Panjang Road.

One of the alleged debtors, 36-year-old Amparo Cacayuran Gayo, is also accused of helping the pair carry out their illegal activities. It is believed she worked with them to issue loans totalling S$600 on 18 June and 25 July last year.

The Filipino women's cases will be mentioned again on February 1.

Koh's pre-trial conference will be held on March 24.

If convicted of being part of illegal moneylending businesses, the women can be jailed up to four years and fined between S$30,000 and S$300,000.

-CNA/ac