Lim Tean now faces seven charges, including leaving S’pore without a passport
Lawyer and opposition politician Lim Tean has been slapped with three additional charges relating to his alleged departure from Singapore while on bail.
This followed an investigation by the Commercial Affairs Department, said the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in a news release on Friday (9 Oct).
Source: Singapore Police Force
Fresh charges include act that has a tendency to defeat the course of justice
On Friday (9 Oct), Lim was charged with failing to surrender to custody at the State Courts on 3 Aug, under Section 103(5)(a) of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010.
He allegedly did this knowingly and without reasonable excuse, and in doing so failed to comply with the duty imposed on him to start his jail term as ordered by the Court of Appeal.
The second charge, under Section 5A(1)(a) of the Immigration Act 1959, accuses him of leaving Singapore by land to a place outside Singapore via Tuas Checkpoint on 4 Aug, and in the process failing to present a valid passport or any other identification to immigration at the point of departure.
Lastly, he was charged with doing an act that has a tendency to defeat the course of justice under Section 204A(b) of the Penal Code 1871, with regards to his alleged unlawful departure from Singapore to avoid serving his jail term.
Lim Tean faces jail & fine under new charges
For the first charge, Lim faces a jail term of up to three years and/or a fine if convicted.
If found guilty of the second charge, which is punishable under Section 5A(3) of the Immigration act, he could be jailed for up to six months and/or fined up to S$2,000.
The third charge carries a jail term of up to seven years and/or a fine upon conviction.
Lim Tean failed to surrender for jail, arrested in JB
Lim, chief of the opposition party People’s Voice, had been sentenced to three months and a week in prison for practising as a lawyer without a valid practising certificate.
He was supposed to surrender to the State Courts to start serving his sentence on 3 Aug, but failed to show up and became uncontactable.
A warrant for his arrest was thus issued on the same day.
The Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) arrested him three days later in Johor Bahru. He was then deported to Singapore and handed over to the SPF on 11 Aug.
Source: Singapore Police Force
The authorities have also charged two men, aged 38 and 45, with allegedly abetting Lim’s illegal departure from Singapore.
Their court cases are ongoing.
Lim Tean to return to court on 23 Oct
With the additional charges, Lim now faces a total of seven outstanding charges.
They include two charges of criminal breach of trust, one charge of unlawful stalking and one charge of refusing to answer a public servant who was authorised to question him.
He will return to court on 23 Oct for a pre-trial conference.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Singapore Police Force.