Khua Kian Keong, the Chief Executive of Vibrant Group, has been found guilty of causing grievous hurt. The announcement was made through a bourse filing, as reported by The Straits Times.

The incident took place over two years ago, when Khua allegedly pushed Tan Tock Han, the former chairman of KTL Global, down a flight of stairs, resulting in a severe fracture to Han’s right shoulder.

The motive behind this altercation was reportedly a dispute involving a substantial debt of $2.4 million owed by Tan Tock Han.

Khua Kian Keong, who is 55 years old, has been convicted under Section 325 of the Penal Code 1871 of Singapore. This section stipulates that individuals who voluntarily cause grievous hurt can face imprisonment of up to 10 years, along with a significant fine or caning.

However, due to Khua’s age, he will be exempt from caning.

The court is set to reconvene in October for the mitigation and sentencing phase. Meanwhile, Khua is seeking legal counsel to determine the best course of action for his defense.

The conviction of their Chief Executive has sent shockwaves throughout Vibrant Group’s board and nominating committee. The company is now navigating a challenging period as they assess the implications of this incident on their reputation, operations, and stakeholders.

Khua has assured the board of his full cooperation and has pledged to keep them informed of any significant developments.

Following the announcement, shares of Vibrant Group experienced considerable volatility. On the day of the news, the stock surged by 7.5 per cent or $0.005, reaching a closing price of $0.072.

Investors and analysts are closely monitoring the situation to gauge its potential long-term impact on the company’s financial performance and market value.

The news of a corporate leader facing criminal conviction has raised concerns about corporate governance, ethics, and leadership in the business world.

43-year-old Edmund Lam Kiat Choong, a senior assistant director at the Ministry of Education (MOE) was charged in court on 4 August with one count of drink driving and another count of dangerous driving, after he was allegedly caught drink driving in 2022 and injuring another driver after crashing his car.

The incident involved a head-on collision with another car while driving against the flow of traffic, resulting in injuries to the other driver.

The Alleged Incident

On December 8, 2022, in Bras Basah Road, shortly before 2 am, Edmund Lam was reportedly driving under the influence of alcohol. According to court documents, he drove against the flow of traffic for nearly 320 meters before colliding head-on with another car.

The driver of the other vehicle, a 54-year-old man, sustained injuries as a result of the accident. However, specific details about the extent of his injuries were not disclosed in the court records.

Legal Implications

The legal limit for alcohol consumption while driving is 35 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath. However, Lam was allegedly found with more than double that amount, measuring at 77 micrograms.

The Accusations and Response

As a section head at the MOE, Lam is accused of one count each of dangerous driving and drink driving. Following the incident, the Ministry of Education expressed its intention to conduct disciplinary proceedings once Lam’s court case concludes.

They emphasized that the ministry takes staff misconduct very seriously and will take appropriate disciplinary action against those who fail to adhere to their standards of conduct and discipline.

Lam is expected to plead guilty on August 11, according to court records.

In the event of being found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol, a person who is committing this offense for the first time may face imprisonment for a maximum period of one year and be subject to a fine not exceeding $10,000.

In the case of a repeat offense, the penalties become more severe. A repeat offender may be sentenced to a maximum of two years in jail and fined up to $20,000.

The Police have arrested a 61-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a series of theft in dwelling cases and fraudulent possession of property.

On 3 July 2023 and 26 July 2023, the Police were alerted to two separate cases of theft in dwelling where items such as mobile phones, cash and wallet were stolen from places of worship along Joo Chiat Road and Jalan Ismail respectively.

On 31 July 2023, the Police received a call for assistance on an alleged dispute along Joo Chiat Road. Through ground enquires and with the aid of images from CCTV cameras, officers from Bedok Police Division established the identity of the man and interviewed him. The man was found in possession of several electronic devices, a Singapore passport and an EZ-link card that did not belong to him. He was allegedly involved in the two cases of theft in dwelling reported on 3 July 2023 and 26 July 2023, and was subsequently arrested.

The man will be charged in court on 2 August 2023 with theft in dwelling under Section 380 of the Penal Code 1871 and fraudulent possession of property, punishable under Section 35(5) Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act 1906.

The offence of theft in dwelling carries an imprisonment term of up to seven years and a fine. The offence of fraudulent possession of property carries an imprisonment of up to one year, a fine of up to $3,000 or both.

The Police have arrested a 35-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a case of outrage of modesty.

On 1 August 2023 at about 9.50pm, the Police received a report that a woman was purportedly molested by an unknown man at the vicinity of Haji Lane.

The woman managed to take a photo of the man and provided it to the Police when she reported the incident. Through follow-up investigations and with the aid of CCTV footage, officers from Central Police Division and the Police Operations Command Centre established the identity of the man and arrested him within one hour of the report. Police investigations are ongoing.

The offence of outrage of modesty carries an imprisonment term of up to three years, or a fine, or caning, or any combination of such punishments.

The Police have zero tolerance towards sexual offenders who threaten the safety of the community. Offenders will be dealt with sternly in accordance with the law. The Police would also like to urge members of the public to remain vigilant and to report the matter to the Police immediately, if they witness an incident of outrage of modesty, or are aware of someone being a victim of outrage of modesty.

The Police have arrested two men, aged 40 and 37, for their suspected involvement in fraudulently registering mobile lines and trading of these fraudulently registered mobile lines.

6 hour operation

On 31 July 2023, in a six-hour operation, officers from the Commercial Affairs Department and Police Intelligence Department arrested the men. Preliminary investigations revealed that the 37-year-old man was working at an events company that conducted SIM card registration roadshows. He had allegedly registered additional prepaid SIM cards without the customers’ consent. These additional prepaid SIM cards were then sold to individuals who wanted to purchase SIM cards without using their identities. The 40-year-old man allegedly abetted the offences and procured the pre-registered prepaid SIM cards from the other man and resold them to others for suspected criminal purposes. Upon their arrests, an assortment of paraphernalia such as mobile phones, prepaid SIM cards and records were seized. Police investigations are ongoing.

Criminals may exploit such fraudulently registered prepaid SIM cards as an anonymous channel of communications for illicit activities such as unlicensed moneylending, scams and vice. Scam syndicates have also been found to perpetrate their criminal activities using such prepaid SIM cards to contact victims and to communicate amongst themselves, to evade possible detection.

The offence of illegally obtaining personal information under Section 416A of the Penal Code 1871 carries an imprisonment term of up to three years,a fine of up to $10,000, or both. The offence of unauthorized modification of computer material under Section 5(1) of the Computer Misuse Act 1993 carries an imprisonment term of up to three years, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.

The Police take a serious stance against any person who may be involved in scams and will continue to clamp down on retailers and assistants who may be indirectly facilitating illicit activities. Those involved in such illicit activities will be dealt with in accordance with the law. Members of the public are advised to refrain from purchasing pre-registered prepaid/postpaid SIM cards and to always maintain a clear view of their identification documents to prevent them from being misused during the registration of SIM cards by retailers or assistants.