The New Paper, Singapore, 13 February 1997

Bin: Yelled that he wanted to alight JAILED Bin Jian Ping was sentenced to 2½ years' jail and six strokes of the cane yesterday. The minimum sentence is two years' jail for restraining a woman to molest her. Bin could have been jailed up to 10 years and caned.

BY RIANA ZAKIR HE thought it was just a quarrel between friends when his passenger suddenly alighted, dashed to the car in front and grabbed its woman driver. But the cabby, Mr Tan Tai How, realised the woman was in danger when her legs pushed open the car door and kicked furiously. The 38-year-old woman was struggling and screaming for help. Said Mr Tan, 46: "My taxi is air-conditioned, so I heard her screams only when I opened my door to help." He dashed to her side and prised open his passenger's fingers from her neck. Mr Tan added: "I thought at first he knew her and wanted to beat her. Otherwise, he had no reason to do that to a stranger." Minutes earlier, the passenger, 30-year-old Bin Jian Ping, had been sitting quietly in the cab. It was 12.15 pm on Jan 20. Cars were lined bumper-to-bumper along South Bridge Road, waiting for the traffic light to turn green. Bin, a site supervisor from China, suddenly yelled that he wanted to alight on the spot. Then he dashed to the car in front without paying the $10 cab fare. He yanked the front-seat passenger door open, lunged in and hugged the startled woman. He also grabbed her right breast and a furious struggle ensued. Mr Tan came and grabbed Bin's hands, while a passing motorcyclist pulled Bin away. The shaken woman, an assistant vice-president in a private company, stumbled out. She called the police on the handphone the motorcyclist lent her. Meanwhile, Bin waited silently for the police for 10 minutes in the front passenger seat of the woman's car. He seemed dazed and oblivious to the traffic jam he had caused as the 20-odd cars behind the stalled cab diverted to other busy lanes. Said Mr Tan: "He sat in the car as if it was his. But the woman said she doesn't know him. "Other motorists looked at me as if my cab had knocked into the woman's car and I was in the wrong." Police later directed the car and cab to a small lane nearby. Bin had earlier boarded the cab at Bukit Panjang to go to Shenton Way. Said Mr Tan in Mandarin: "Inside the cab, he shouted three times to himself, something like, "You want me to die or what!' I thought he was a bit crazy."

The New Paper, Singapore, 14 February 1997

Michael Goh Seng Huat PENALTY Those found guilty of molest can be jailed up to two years, fined or caned or given any two such punishments.

BY CHAN SEET FUN HER boss undressed her and molested her. Then he handed her two $50 notes and told her not to tell anyone. The victim, a 17-year-old girl, threw the money onto the floor. But Michael Goh Seng Huat, 46, assistant manager of banquet operations at the Hyatt Regency Singapore, picked up the money and threw it back at his victim. He told her to use the money for school books and walked off. Yesterday at the Subordinate Courts, Goh was sentenced to six months' jail and three strokes of the cane. The girl, who cannot be named, had been working at the hotel as a part-time waitress in June last year. On June 25 at about 9.45 pm, Goh approached her as she was putting up signage on the second floor of the hotel. When she told Goh that she did not have enough letterings for the sign, he told her to go to the storeroom of the Hibiscus Room on the third floor for more. The girl knew that the letterings were kept there and did not suspect anything. Goh followed her and they chatted along the way. In the storeroom, Goh tried to touch her back. She shouted at him but Goh touched her breasts and her groin. The girl later told the police that Goh then tried to undress her. She foiled his first attempt. But he then managed to pull her dress down to her shoulders. She said he put his hand under her skirt and also tried to kiss her face and neck. She struggled and pushed him away. As she hurriedly put her clothes on, Goh offered her the $100 and left. Feeling ashamed, she did not tell anyone immediately. She went back to work and managed to finish her task. When she went to the banquet office to claim her pay, she saw Goh again but she did not say anything. That was the last time she worked there. The next day, she made a police report. BOSS WON AWARD FROM HOTEL MICHAEL Goh Seng Huat (left) received a long service award from Hyatt Regency Singapore in October last year - about four months after he molested the 17-year-old girl. He has worked at the hotel since 1971. A hotel spokesman said Goh was on leave yesterday. She added that the management would look into his case and decide what action to take. Goh, a divorcee and father of two sons aged 21 and 13, plans to appeal. Bail was set at $20,000. In his defence, his lawyer Edmond Pereira said that Goh had acted on impulse after receiving the "wrong" signals from the victim.

The Straits Times, Singapore, 18 February 1997

4 China gang members get jail and cane for kidnap, robbery

By Tan Ooi Boon

FOUR members of a crime syndicate from China were each sentenced to 20 years' jail and 24 strokes of the cane yesterday for kidnapping and robbing two other China nationals who were working in Singapore.

The culprits could have each been jailed 40 years by the High Court, because they were sentenced to 10 years and 12 strokes on each of the four counts of offences they had pleaded guilty to.

But Justice S. Sinnathuray said he would show mercy by making them serve two of their jail sentences concurrently.

The men will also receive a total of 24 strokes each as this is the maximum the law allows.

Justice Sinnathuray told the accused that the offences they committed were all very serious.

He said: "You are very fortunate because the Deputy Public Prosecutor has not prosecuted you under the Kidnapping Act which carries the death penalty." The men were charged under the Penal Code.

Yesterday, Deputy Public Prosecutor Lim Pek Bur told the court that the four men -- Yu Xiao Ping, 23, Shi Long Hua, 23, Tang Guo Ling, 20, and Yu Feng, 19 -- arrived in Singapore between February and May last year. They then plotted with two other men, Ma Cher and Liu Wanfu, to kidnap and rob Chinese nationals working here.

On July 30 that year, they picked Mr Lin Hong Fa, 34, a construction worker, as their target. They ambushed him at his flat in Block 510, Bedok North Street 3, as he was returning home at night.

The culprits forced their way in and tied him up. Later, when Mr Lin's flatmate returned, he too was ambushed.

Apart from robbing them of about $4,000 in cash and valuables, the kidnappers also demanded a ransom.

The victims offered about $10,000, but their captors wanted more and assaulted them continuously until they agreed to pay $50,000.

The kidnappers later also held up two more of Mr Lin's flatmates -- Mr Chen Qing Ping and his wife, when they returned home later that night.

They then moved Mr Lin and Mr Chen to separate locations and held them captive there; they released the other two so they could go and raise the money.

But the two who were released went to the police. That night, Mr Lin also managed to escape when two of his captors fell asleep.

He, too contacted the police, with the help of a member of the public.

The next day, police nabbed two of the culprits when they turned up at the Novena MRT station to collect the ransom money.

Luck also ran out for the other two gang members that day, because they were caught by a group of workers in an unrelated incident.

The workers had chased them after they were seen loitering near an uncompleted women's toilet at a construction site in Tuas. They also freed Mr Chen who was being held in the toilet.

Later, when police raided the kidnappers' flat in Jurong West, they found their accomplice, Liu Wanfu, dead.

Liu had apparently stabbed himself on the thigh to atone for falling asleep on the job. But, police said, he cut his artery accidentally and bled to death.

The last kidnapper, Ma Cher, is still at large and is wanted by police.

The Straits Times, Singapore, 25 February 1997

Jail for 3 who spiked friends' drinks and stole from them

FIVE men spiked the drinks of two friends and then stole jewellery and cash worth more than $3,400 from them.

Yesterday, Gursev Singh Toor, 21, Sivasarvanan Suppiah Murugan, 20, and Thirumaran Arulchalvan, 19, were each sentenced in court to four years' jail and 10 strokes of the cane.

They were convicted on two charges each of theft with preparation, and another two charges each for consuming controlled drugs.

The court heard that, just after midnight on Dec 12 last year, Sivasarvanan met a relative, Chellappan Ponnusamy, 25, and his friend Ravichandran Kulandi, 26, at the Indra pub in Syed Alwi Road.

Sivasarvanan was there with Gursev, Thirumaran and two other accomplices who will be dealt with by the court at a later date.

The two victims were then invited for drinks at the footpath between the Singapore Indian Association and Singapore Chinese Sports Club along Balestier Road.

Gursev and the second victim, Mr Ravichandran, left to buy liquor, while one of the two accomplices went to get "stupefying drugs" to use on their prey.

They met an hour later and Thirumaran placed a few drops of the drug into the drinks of the two victims, who subsequently lost consciousness.

The five accomplices then stole the two men's identity and bank cards, jewellery and cash amounting to $3,460.

Later that day, Gursev, Sivasarvanan and Thirumaran pawned some of the stolen jewellery for a total of $2,150 in cash. They spent the money on drinks and entertainment with their two accomplices.

Gursev, Sivasarvanan and Thirumaran were arrested 12 days later on Dec 24 at a flat in Block 625, Hougang Avenue 8.

There, the police found a packet which turned out to contain cannabis. Tests showed that the three men had consumed the drug.

Gursev and Sivasarvanan have six and two previous convictions for theft, respectively, while Thirumaran has been charged with robbery with hurt before.

They could have been jailed for up to 10 years on each charge of theft with preparation.

For consuming controlled drugs, the maximum sentence is 10 years' jail and a fine of $20,000.