On 26 July 2022, a 36-year-old man, Goh Hanshi Justin was convicted  of one count of an offence under the Securities and Futures Act (“SFA”), for manipulating the share price of Sky One Holdings Limited (“Skyone”),

He faced 27 counts under the SFA for conducting unauthorised trades in trading accounts belonging to third parties, and five counts under cheating (by abetment) in two financial institutions.

On 26 July 2022, he was sentenced to 39 months imprisonment.

Background

Investigations revealed that between September and October 2013, Goh directed three trading representatives to push up and maintain the price of Skyone shares which were traded on the Catalist board of the Singapore Exchange.

On Goh’s instructions, the three trading representatives used 15 trading accounts belonging to their family, friends and clients to buy and sell Skyone shares for Goh’s benefit, and for the purpose of pushing up and maintaining the price of Skyone shares.

Goh procured a further 12 trading accounts from his family and friends, to conduct trades for his own benefit. These trades were performed without the consent of the respective trading firms.

Investigations also revealed that Goh instigated three nominees (who were his friends and family members) to open share financing accounts with two financial institutions.

These accounts were opened in the nominees’ respective names, but Goh exercised full and effective control over the accounts. Goh also arranged for Skyone shares to be transferred to the nominees, to be pledged as collateral under the share financing facilities.

The loans disbursed by the financial institutions under the said facilities were then used by Goh to trade in more securities (including Skyone shares), which securities were pledged to the financial institutions as collateral for further loans disbursed.

$4.2 million

The two financial institutions were deceived into believing that the account holders had effective control over the share financing facilities and that the Skyone shares pledged thereunder were beneficially owned by the said account holders.

The financial institutions were thereby cheated into disbursing a total of more than S$4.2 million to the share financing accounts controlled by Goh, in respect of the proceeded charges.

On 28 October 2013, Skyone shares opened at S$0.46, and fell drastically to S$0.043 by about 10.50am.

Following the crash of Skyone’s share price, the financial institutions sold the shares pledged under the facilities.

The total amount outstanding to the financial institutions in respect of the proceeded charges is S$779,845.96.

40-year-old Briton, Adam William Fletcher, pleaded guilty to 2 counts of voluntarily causing hurt and was sentenced on 27 July to 7 weeks imprisonment.

He had attacked a stranger for no reason after being drunk, before kicking a nurse at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

What happened?

Fletcher was with another foreign national at 19 East Coast Road, drinking in the evening of 25 June last year.

They then were into a back alley to have a conversation but they then started pushing each other, with Fletcher’s friend then falling onto the ground.

The fight was then broken up by a passer-by, and Fletcher then left the alley at about 10.30pm, before heading towards Ean Kiam Place, near East Coast Road.

He saw a 57-year-old foreigner heading towards an ATM near him to withdraw money, and he then swung his fist and punched the man on the head.

the man then fell onto the ground and was knocked out, before he regained consciousness minutes later after being helped by other passers-by.

Fletcher fled the scene, but the attack was filmed by another passer-by.

The police were alerted and when they arrived at the scene, they found Fletcher drunk and behaving in a disorderly manner along Mountbatten Road.

He was then conveyed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital via an ambulance with bleeding on his elbow and scalp.

Rampage continues at hospital

He was attended to by healthcare staff at the hospital emergency department but he was drunk and wanted to fight.

A 40-year-old nurse was holding onto his leg at about 5am, so that a doctor could perform an IV drip on him, but he then started kicking out and shouting vulgarities at them, saying “get your f—— hands off me.”

Fletcher then kicked the nurse, hitting her on her left upper chest and collarbone, resulting in the nurse having to stop working and leave the emergency room because she was in pain.

The nurse was given 3 days MC.

The Singapore Police Force release a media release reminding foreign vehicles to pay and outstanding fines or they might face entry denial at the checkpoints.

Here is what the Police said:

Since 1 April 2019, foreign vehicles with a number of outstanding fines for traffic, parking, or vehicular emissions offences have been denied entry into Singapore.

With the re-opening of our land borders, there continue to be foreign motorists who have committed offences under our laws but do not settle their fines.

We would like to remind foreign motorists who enter Singapore, that they must abide by Singapore’s laws and settle any outstanding fines for offences. We take a serious view of this. The Traffic Police and other government agencies have been conducting operations at the land checkpoints to detect foreign vehicles with outstanding fines linked to them.

Denial of Entry into Singapore

Foreign vehicles with a number of outstanding fines for vehicle-related offences may be denied entry into Singapore.

Foreign motorists are therefore strongly advised to check if they have any outstanding fines for vehicle-related offences and settle them promptly. They may check this at www.axs.com.sg.

How to pay?

Payment for the fines can be made through the following channels:

• AXS kiosks, AXS website and AXS mobile app
  
• Respective agencies’ websites
  
• Respective agencies’ customer service counters
  
• SingPost Post Offices

According to the Land Transport Authority (LTA), they have completed its latest review of Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rates

LTA said that based on their monitoring of traffic conditions in June and July 2022, with further easing of community and workplace measures from 26 April, traffic has built up at various stretches of expressways.

To manage congestion at these locations, ERP rates will be adjusted by $1.00 with effect from 1 August 2022 at the following 4 locations during the 8 specified time periods.

As these are timeslots that are already priced today, there is no increase in the total number of timeslots or locations charged with ERP with this review.

Rates for the other previously announced timeslots/gantries remain unchanged. After the adjustment from 1 August, the number of locations and timeslots charged is still significantly lower than the number charged pre-COVID.

Here are the rates:

LTA will continue to monitor traffic speeds and congestion levels closely and assess if ERP rates need to be further adjusted.

Source: Land Transport Authority

A 55-year-old worker from Singapore was killed on 20 July after falling off a boat and being struck by the boat’s motor propeller.

The incident happened at the Police Coast Guard’s headquarters in Pulau Brani, at 11 Brani Way, on 20 July at about 11am.

The man was a worker from Citadelle, a consultancy services and training firm, and he was alone on the boat at the time, according to MOM.

The police were alerted to the accident at about 11.20am, and the man was pronounced dead at the scene by an SCDF paramedic.

The Police also added that they do not suspect any foul play, based on preliminary investigations, and they are looking into his death.

The deceased was apparently a trainer, and Citadelle has been asked to stop all of their training activities by MOM.

The 55-year-old’s death takes the number of workplace deaths this year to 31, more than the 30 workplace deaths in the whole of 2020 and slightly lesser than the 37 workplace deaths recorded last year, with 5 more months to go.

This is also the 3rd workplace death where a worker had fallen into the sea.

According to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), a company and it’s director was each fined $5,000 after illegally importing vegetables into Singapore.

Here is what SFA said:

Topstar Trading Pte Ltd, an importer of vegetables and processed food products, was fined $5000 by the Court today for illegally importing fresh vegetables for sale. Its Director, Tiong Lee Chian, was also fined $5000 for failing to prevent the offence from being committed.

On 23 March 2021, SFA officers detected approximately 250kg of undeclared and under-declared fresh vegetables in the consignments imported from Malaysia by the importer.

In Singapore, food imports must meet SFA’s requirements. Fruits and vegetables can only be imported by licensed importers, and every consignment must be declared and accompanied with a valid import permit. Illegally imported vegetables are of unknown sources and can pose a food safety risk (e.g. if unregulated or high level of pesticides are used).

Offenders who illegally import fresh fruits and vegetables shall be liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $10,000 and/or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years.