23 2 月, 2021

3 former Shell employees linked to $200 million gas oil heist charged with graft

SINGAPORE - Three former Shell Eastern Petroleum employees linked to a $200 million gas oil heist have been charged with bribing employees of surveying companies who inspected vessels which the oil giant supplied fuel to. Juandi Pungot, 44, Muzaffar Ali Khan Muhamad Akram, 40, and Richard Goh Chee Keong, 51, appeared before a district court on Tuesday (Feb 23) to have their charges read out to them. All three had previously been charged with criminal breach of trust over their alleged involvement in a conspiracy that led to more than 300,000 tonnes of gas oil worth about US$150 million (S$200 million) being stolen from Shell's biggest global refinery. Juandi and Muzaffar Ali Khan face 13 charges each while Goh faces four charges, all for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Between 2014 and 2017, Juandi and Muzaffar Ali Khan allegedly conspired to give bribes totalling about US$91,900 to 10 employees of surveying companies to inaccurately report the amount of gas oil loaded onto vessels which the employees were engaged to inspect. Between 2016 and 2017, Goh is accused of bribing three employees of surveying companies with a total of US$25,000 for the same reason. The three will be in court next on March 19. If convicted of graft, an offender can be jailed for up to five years and fined up to $100,000 for each charge. More on this topic Related Story Former S'pore Straits Wine Company sales executive fined $12,000 for graft Related Story Courts & Crime: Read more stories

17 2 月, 2021

Sports World: World boxing qualifier in June cancelled

World boxing qualifier in June cancelled TOKYO • The final global boxing qualifier for the Tokyo Olympics is being scrapped, the Japan Boxing Federation said yesterday, with places at this summer's pandemic-delayed Games likely to be determined by rankings. The qualifier was due to take place in Paris in June, but coronavirus travel restrictions and the rescheduling of the final European qualifier from April to June have forced organisers to pull the plug. Boxing qualification events for the Games are being organised by a special task force formed after the International Olympic Committee stripped the International Boxing Association of its right to run the sport at the Olympics. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Miller charged with running drug ring SYDNEY • A former swimmer who won two Olympic medals for Australia was yesterday arrested and charged with running a drug syndicate trafficking in methamphetamine, police said. Scott Miller, 45, and an accomplice were arrested in police raids in two Sydney suburbs and charged with the alleged supply of A$2 million (S$2.1 million) worth of "ice", concealed inside candles. He won a silver medal in the 100m butterfly at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and a bronze medal as part of Australia's 4x100m medley relay squad. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Infantino dismisses talk of greeting snub LAUSANNE • Fifa president Gianni Infantino on Monday shot down reports that he had instructed female referees not to greet a Qatari delegate during the Club World Cup medal ceremony last week and insisted he remained a strong advocate for women's rights. After the game in which Bayern Munich beat Mexican side Tigres 1-0, Sheikh Joaan Hamad Al-Thani was seen fist-bumping male officials as they walked up to the podium but he appeared to ignore female referees Edina Alves Batista and Neuza Back. Reports suggested Infantino had instructed the female officials not to greet the Sheikh, who is also the president of Qatar's Olympic Committee, but the Swiss-Italian issued a statement hitting back at the "lies", claiming "those who have been spreading false rumours should be ashamed of their actions". REUTERS

22 12 月, 2020

Seven more people arrested for suspected connection to rioting in Clarke Quay

SINGAPORE - Seven more people have been arrested for their suspected participation in a rioting incident involving a deadly weapon in Clarke Quay last Saturday night (Dec 19), said the police on Tuesday. Six men, aged between 22 and 31, and a 22-year-old woman were arrested for several alleged offences in relation to the incident in Eu Tong Sen Street. They were arrested in islandwide raids conducted between Sunday and Monday by officers from the Criminal Investigation Department and Central Police Division. The brawlers had fled the scene by the time police arrived after being alerted at about 10.40pm, while members of the public were helping two injured people. Four of the six men will be charged in court on Tuesday for the offence of being a member of an unlawful assembly. The remaining two men will be charged for voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous means and rioting with a deadly weapon respectively on Thursday. The police are investigating the 22-year-old woman. In an update, police said four of five men who were arrested on Sunday were charged with rioting armed with a deadly weapon. The fifth, a 30-year-old, will be charged with voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous means on Tuesday. Those found guilty of being a member of an unlawful assembly can be imprisoned for up to two years and fined. Those convicted of voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous means can face life imprisonment, caning and a fine. The offence of rioting with a deadly weapon is punishable by a jail term of up to 10 years and caning. More on this topic Related Story Man admits to slashing victim in Chinatown brawl during circuit breaker Related Story Man accused of Orchard Towers murder to be tried in High Court

12 11 月, 2020

Mother, stepfather charged with murder of 11-year-old girl in Jurong flat

SINGAPORE - The mother and stepfather of a girl were on Thursday (Nov 12) charged with the 11-year-old's murder. The couple, who are both 26 and cannot be named due to a gag order, appeared in a district court via video link, where they were charged with murder with common intention. Court documents show that the couple allegedly caused the death of the girl, who is the biological daughter of the woman, between Nov 6 and 10 this year at a flat in Jurong. In court on Thursday, the woman requested to see her three sons, and said she has joint custody of two of them with her ex-husband. As one of her children is starting Primary 1 soon, she requested for bail so she could pass some relevant documents to her ex-husband. The accused man also requested to see his son via video link. The district judge told them no bail was available, but said the investigation officer could assist with their requests. Marriage records show that the couple were married in April this year. The woman's first marriage was in 2013. The girl was unconscious when taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital by ambulance on Tuesday at around 11am, according to the police. She was pronounced dead at 12.40pm. The police said they were alerted to the unnatural death around 1.20pm. Following investigations, they arrested the couple over their suspected involvement. More on this topic Related Story Man and woman charged with killing woman's 4-year-old daughter and burning her body Related Story Mother of six jailed 7 years for killing 2-year-old daughter The couple are currently in remand, and will be back in court on Nov 19. If convicted of the murder charge, the couple face the death penalty.

11 11 月, 2020

Man charged with slashing Certis enforcement officer with sickle

SINGAPORE - A man who allegedly slashed a Certis enforcement officer with a sickle earlier this week was charged on Wednesday (Nov 11) with one count of assault. Vikneswaran Sivan, a 30-year-old Singaporean, is accused of using the weapon to slash Mr Mohamad Afiq Mohamad Jamil's calves at Block 503C Canberra Link near Sembawang Road at around 7.40pm on Monday. Certis and the National Environment Agency (NEA) had said in an earlier joint statement that Mr Afiq and another Certis officer were on enforcement duty against public health offences, such as littering and smoking, when the incident occurred. Both officers were attached to the NEA at the time. After somebody was issued a fine for a smoking offence, Vikneswaran allegedly attacked Mr Afiq. The agencies said the attacker "was present but not implicated in the smoking enforcement action". Some residents in the area told The New Paper they heard screams during the incident. A domestic helper was quoted as saying: "When I looked out, I saw a man lying on the road in pain. He looked like he had been hit by a car and was holding his leg and screaming." Vikneswaran was arrested within seven hours of the incident. More on this topic Related Story Man accused of stabbing safe distancing enforcement officer charged with attempted murder Related Story Courts & Crime: Read more stories His bail was set at $15,000 on Wednesday and his case has been adjourned to Dec 9. For voluntarily causing hurt with a weapon, an offender can be jailed for up to seven years and fined or caned.