Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), one of Singapore’s renowned integrated resorts, faced substantial fines totalling $95,000 in the last financial year due to breaches in casino control regulations, according to The Straits Times.

The fines were imposed by the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) and are a result of RWS’s failure to conduct proper checks on its customers.

Understanding the Fines

Customer Due Diligence Measures

In the period spanning from April 2022 to March 2023, RWS incurred a fine of $20,000 for its failure to perform essential customer due diligence measures. Such measures are crucial for ensuring the integrity of casino operations and preventing unlawful activities.

Enhanced Customer Due Diligence Measures

The gravest penalty imposed on RWS amounted to $75,000. This significant fine was due to the resort’s negligence in performing enhanced customer due diligence measures.

Enhanced measures are designed to scrutinize high-risk customers more closely, further emphasizing the importance of compliance with regulatory standards.

License Suspension for Ceylon Sports Club

Apart from the penalties levied against RWS, GRA also took action against Ceylon Sports Club. The club faced a one-month suspension of its license.

This punitive action resulted from the club’s failure to comply with regulatory requirements concerning the screening and registration of individuals and the prevention of excluded persons from entering.

Transition from CRA to GRA

The Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) came into existence on August 16, 2022, replacing the Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA).

Established in 2008, CRA had been responsible for overseeing Singapore’s two integrated resorts: RWS and Marina Bay Sands (MBS). The transition to GRA marked a new phase in regulatory oversight for the industry.

Past Penalties

In the previous financial year, prior to the establishment of GRA, RWS incurred fines totaling $200,000 from CRA. These fines were primarily a result of the resort’s failure to implement adequate customer due diligence measures. Additionally, RWS faced a $75,000 penalty for not adopting an approved system of internal controls.

To put these fines into perspective, the highest amount of penalties issued by CRA in the last decade was between April 2018 and March 2019. During this period, RWS was slapped with fines amounting to a staggering $730,000. Similarly, Marina Bay Sands (MBS) had to pay $15,000 in fines for various regulatory breaches.

Water is a precious resource, and its availability and affordability are crucial concerns for both households and businesses.

In Singapore, the national water agency PUB has recently announced that water prices will increase by approximately 18%/50 cents per cubic metre over the next two years, according to Channel NewsAsia.

Understanding the Price Hike

Here are the key details of the price hike:

1. Current Water Prices: As of now, potable water in Singapore costs S$2.74 (US$2.01) per 1,000 liters, or per cubic meter, before taxes for most households.
2. Phased Increase: The price increase will be split into two phases. The first phase, which will take effect on April 1, 2024, will raise prices by 20 cents per cubic meter. The second phase, starting on April 1, 2025, will raise prices by an additional 30 cents per cubic meter.
3. Impact on Households: After the 2025 revision, three out of four households will experience an increase of less than S$10 in their monthly water bills.
4. Impact on Businesses and Hawkers: Three out of four businesses will see their water bills rise by less than S$25 a month, while three out of four hawkers will face an increase of less than S$15 monthly.
5. Higher Consumption: Households that consume more water, exceeding 40 cubic meters a month, will experience a higher increase in their bills. For each cubic meter of water above the threshold, the rate they pay will rise by 70 cents.
6. NEWater Prices: The price of NEWater, which is treated reclaimed wastewater mainly used for industrial and air conditioning purposes, will increase by 17 cents per cubic meter, also in two stages.
7. Previous Increases: Water prices in Singapore were last increased by 30% in two phases in 2017, and before that in 2000.
8. Reasons for the Increase: PUB cited several factors for the price hike, including rising operating costs, increased investment needs for water infrastructure, higher electricity tariffs, construction costs, expenses for essential chemicals in water treatment, and maintenance expenses due to higher manpower costs.
9. Water Sources: PUB mentioned that with increasing water demand projected to almost double by 2065, they will rely more on sources like NEWater and desalinated water, which are more resilient to climate change but also more energy-intensive and costly to produce.
10. Sustainability and Infrastructure: PUB emphasized that this price increase is necessary to sustain operations, maintain existing assets, and support critical investments in water infrastructure to ensure water security for Singapore, particularly in the face of climate change and growing water demand.
11. Future Reviews: PUB stated that it regularly reviews water prices, considering both annual operating costs and long-term investments in water infrastructure. They are also investing in research and development of new technology to manage long-term costs.

In a daring heist that shook the bustling streets of Singapore, Akhalaia Irakli, a 46-year-old Georgian man, masterminded a plan to commit theft and succeeded in stealing a whopping US$74,300 (equivalent to $101,861 SGD) from a money changer in Singapore, according to The Straits Times.

This audacious act led to Irakli’s eventual sentencing on Wednesday to two years and two months in prison, alongside his accomplice, Malishava Joni, aged 55, who received a two-year sentence.

The Target: Peninsula Shopping Centre

Irakli carefully selected Singapore as the backdrop for his audacious theft, largely due to the perception that the city-state was flush with wealth. He chose Peninsula Shopping Centre, nestled in Coleman Street, as his target.

Irakli’s partner-in-crime, Joni, joined him in Singapore. The duo arrived with a mixture of counterfeit and genuine US dollar notes, with fake euro notes also in their possession.

On April 21, Irakli visited the money changer at Peninsula Shopping Centre and expressed his intention to purchase US$75,000 worth of currency later that day. He returned to the establishment later, accompanied by Joni, around 4:30 PM.

The money changer handed Irakli 750 pieces of US$100 notes, bundled into eight different packages. Irakli then extracted US$700 from the bundles and paid for them using an undisclosed currency.

The remaining US$74,300 was concealed in three plastic bags, which Irakli placed into a black leather briefcase. Unbeknownst to the money changer, this briefcase already contained three additional plastic bags, each filled with a bundle of notes.

The outermost and innermost notes in each bundle were genuine US$100 bills, while the rest were a mixture of counterfeit US dollar and euro notes, along with legitimate US$1 notes. The cunning plan was to make the bundles appear entirely genuine, thereby tricking the victim.

Irakli attempted to pass the briefcase to the money changer through a glass panel for “safekeeping.” However, he encountered a hurdle—the panel’s opening was too small for the exchange.

In a twist worthy of a Hollywood movie, Irakli and Joni claimed they needed to transfer the genuine US dollar notes to a smaller black clutch bag. Instead, they transferred the three plastic bags containing the counterfeit notes into the clutch bag.

The two Georgians then handed the clutch bag, supposedly containing the genuine notes, to the victim, stating that they would return to retrieve and pay for the real US dollar notes. In a matter of moments, they disappeared into thin air, leaving the money changer to grapple with the shocking truth.

The victim realized he had been duped when he cut open the locked clutch bag, only to discover counterfeit money. He promptly alerted the authorities, setting off a manhunt for the elusive culprits.

Despite their daring heist, Irakli and Joni’s escape plan was foiled. They managed to board a plane at Changi Airport, hoping to flee Singapore with their ill-gotten gains. However, justice caught up with them just before takeoff, as they were apprehended.

On Sunday (24 September), a seemingly routine stop turned into a potentially catastrophic situation when a passenger of a white Toyota Prius opened the door along Dunearn Road without checking for oncoming traffic behind, only to have a car collide with it.

The Unexpected Collision

The incident that unfolded on Dunearn Road was captured by the rear-facing camera of another vehicle, the footage was later shared on SG Road Vigilante’s Facebook page, attracting the attention of viewers and sparking discussions about road safety.

int he video, traffic could be seen flowing steadily on the right side of the Prius. However, the passenger decided to open the door on the side with traffic and oncoming vehicles, for whatever reason.

A red car that was approaching from behind then tried to honk at the passenger to alert them but it was already too late and they ended up getting scraped by the door.

As a result of the impact, an unidentified object fell onto the road. It remains unclear what this object was, but it underscores the chaos that can ensue when safety measures are overlooked on the road.

The entire incident unfolded rapidly, leaving little time for the red car to react, given the speed at which everything happened.

Thankfully nobody was injured in the accident.

Shortly after the collision, the footage shows the passenger attempting to shut the car door several times without success, and the door remained open, posing a risk to other vehicles approaching from behind.

Netizens’ comments

1. That’s the problem with passengers. The driver also needs to warn the passenger exiting. However, I will always have passenger exit from sidewalk be it if the passenger should be sitting on the other end. Safety comes first.
2. Lucky no hit by motorcyclist.
3. rest in peace for the door
4. Aiya why the door nv break… Break mah.. Then gt show to see..
5. Stupidity has no boundaries
6. Wa lau.. this passengers sabo king/queen sia… sabo the driver
7. Play too much lacross until eyes also crossed liao. Cant see traffic
8. If its a motorcycle then habis

Source: Facebook