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A commercial unmanned aircraft (UA) operator has been suspended after a drone crashed at a condominium in Buona Vista on Jul. 19.
Responding to media queries on Jul. 23, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said that H3 Dynamics Holdings Pte Ltd was carrying out a series of UA flights using the Hexadrone TUNDRA 2 drone when the incident occurred at the One-North Residences, located at 7 One-North Gateway. What happened The operator had flown the drone at the One-North drone estate, over the Pixel Building at 10 Central Exchange Green, as they had intended to develop a command control station for the drone. It then reportedly flew outside of its approved activity area on the eighth flight and crashed on the grounds of One-North Residences at around 6pm, according to CAAS. A reader said there were children playing in the area when the drone crashed. No injuries were reported. Drone sensor malfunctioned, operator suspended Early investigations revealed that the drone's positioning sensors had malfunctioned, causing it to deviate from its planned flight. Following the incident, CAAS has suspended all of the operator's UA operations and the use of the Hexadrone TUNDRA 2 drones in Singapore. Other than the drone involved in this incident, there is currently no other Hexadrone TUNDRA 2 drone registered for use in Singapore. CAAS has urged those with UA permits to review their safety procedures and processes. Investigations are ongoing. 70 HDB flat owners lose flats due to lease infringements from 2019 to 2023, 330 issued fines7/24/2024 Action was taken against 800 errant flat owners for lease infringements in the last five years, from 2019 to 2023, according to statistics revealed by the Housing & Development Board (HDB).
Of which, compulsory acquisition action was initiated against around 70 cases for committing severe infringements. Out of these cases, about 400 were issued written warnings, while around 330 were issued fines of up to $50,000. The infringements include unauthorised renting out of HDB flats and bedrooms, non-occupation of a flat during the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP), and acquisition of interest in private property within MOP. It was previously revealed in parliament that between 2017 and 2022, HDB had taken action against 53 owners for not occupying their flats, with 21 of them having their flats reacquired. Detecting potential infringements HDB said it takes a serious stance towards the infringement of HDB rules and regulations and will not hesitate to take action against errant flat owners. Between 2019 and 2023, HDB conducted 29,000 routine inspections and investigated 4,400 feedback cases related to lease infringements. To identify potential violations, HDB monitors flat advertisements, conducts routine inspections, and investigates public feedback and reports from property agents. Reminder on Minimum Occupation Period HDB reminded flat owners that they must physically occupy their flats during the MOP before selling or renting them out. During the MOP, flat owners, their spouses, and authorised occupants are prohibited from acquiring any interest in local or overseas private residential properties. To rent out the entire flat or bedroom(s) during or after the MOP, owners must obtain prior approval from HDB and comply with its terms and conditions. If renting out bedroom(s), owners and authorised occupants must reside in the flat with the tenants throughout the rental period. HDB emphasised that the MOP policy aims to keep public housing affordable and stable, discouraging speculative purchasing. Flat owners facing genuine circumstances preventing them from occupying their HDB flat during the MOP can apply to HDB for waiver consideration, assessed on a case-by-case basis. Renting out of HDB flats and bedrooms HDB also reminds flat owners that when renting out HDB flats or bedrooms, owners must obtain HDB approval and register all occupants before the tenancy starts. Owners renting out bedrooms must continue residing in the flat throughout the rental period. HDB clarified that renting out a room while not residing in the flat is treated as renting out the entire flat, not just bedrooms. Owners must also adhere to occupancy caps based on flat size. Currently, up to four, six, and eight persons unrelated to the family unit are allowed in a one or two-room flat, three-room flat, and four-room or larger flat, respectively. HDB added that flat owners who flout the rules or cause disamenities to the public might have their approval for rental revoked. Prospective tenants must also meet the eligibility conditions and guidelines to rent the flat or bedroom(s). For example, non-citizens must hold a valid Employment Pass, Student Pass, Dependent Pass, or Long-term Social Visit Pass. Tourists are not allowed to rent an HDB flat/bedroom for short-term stay as the minimum rental period is six months. Examples of flat owners losing their flat Case 1: In one example, HDB said they discovered a couple who had purchased a five-room BTO flat in 2015 but had not been occupying the flat. HDB had received feedback from the public that the flat had been advertised for sale online, and the photographs contained in the advertisement showed that the flat was in a bare condition. During the investigation, both flat owners admitted that they had not lived in the flat since the keys were collected. Instead, they were staying at the wife’s parent’s landed property. As the owners did not occupy the flat and had alternative accommodation, HDB compulsorily acquired the flat. Case 2: In another case, an owner who had applied for approval to rent out one bedroom in her flat was discovered to be renting out the entire flat. She and her children had never lived in the flat since purchasing it in 2018. Investigations revealed that she had bought the flat solely to generate rental income and did not need it for accommodation. HDB then compulsorily acquired the flat. Case 3: In a third example shared by HDB, a man who had purchased an executive apartment with his wife in 2017 was found to have purchased a private residential property in trust for his son. Flat owners are not allowed to acquire an interest in a private property within the 5-year minimum occupation period, which includes purchasing a property in trust for another person. To help the man, HDB suggested that he either relinquish the trusteeship and transfer ownership of the private property to his father or sell the private property. However, he informed HDB that he was not keen on either option and took no further steps to regularise the infringement, despite repeated reminders from HDB to do so. Thus, HDB proceeded to compulsorily acquire the flat. Enquiries and feedback Members of the public can contact HDB for inquiries regarding HDB’s rules and regulations or to report suspected cases through the following channels: For enquiries on HDB’s rules and regulations HDB Branch Service Line: 1800-225-5432 Monday to Friday, 8am-5pm For reports on suspected cases of infringement: HDB’s dedicated hotline: 1800-555-6370 Monday to Friday, 8am-5pm A 38-year-old man was sentenced to jail for sexually assaulting his 38-year-old wife.
On Jul. 22, the man was sentenced to eight years imprisonment and six strokes of the cane for sexually assaulting his wife and obstructing justice. This is the first such case since marital immunity for rape was repealed in January 2020. The man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, was found guilty of two charges of sexual assault by penetration and one count of obstructing justice by trying to get the victim to drop the claims, and convicted earlier this year. The pair are still legally married to each other. Under the Criminal Law Reform Act, non-consensual sex will be treated as a crime even if the offender is married to the victim. In a statement in 2019, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Law stated that there was a need for sexual relations to be based on mutual consent. "This amendment ensures that all women are protected from sexual abuse," they said. What happened The man had moved out of their marital flat and had been staying with his sister due to marital conflict. At the time of the assault, the woman had allowed him to stay over at their flat after a family meeting with other relatives. On Jul. 13, 2020, the man was in the master bedroom with his wife and they began discussing their marriage. This led to a heated argument. The man suddenly pulled down his wife's clothes and sexually assaulted her. He was interrupted when their son knocked on the door, but he continued to assault his wife. He stopped after his wife fled to the toilet when their daughter knocked on the door. During the trial, the man acknowledged that the sexual acts had taken place but argued that he thought his wife had consented. He argued that he had gone on top of his wife during the argument as she gave him "a seductive look" and pouted. He also claimed that she continued to look at him "seductively" even though she said "no" and seemed to "enjoy" what he was doing. The wife testified that she had asked him to stop, and she twisted her legs tightly as she did not want to have sex with him at the time. In messages the man exchanged with his sister after the incident, and in a video-recorded interview with the police, the man admitted knowing that his wife did not give her consent. He also said he was "ashamed" of himself for having "no control". The sister told the man that his actions would not "go in" as rape but maybe as "molest" despite the victim being his wife. In a call with his mother-in-law, which she recorded, the man tried to get her to convince his wife to withdraw the allegations. This was what resulted in him being charged with obstructing justice. The man told his mother-in-law that he would agree to a personal protection order from his wife if she withdrew the allegations of sexual assault. He also stated that his lawyer told him his wife could withdraw the allegation. He added that he would pay her fine if his wife withdrew the allegations and was charged over it. The man told his mother-in-law that if his wife did not withdraw the allegations, their children could end up in foster care, and the case would be published in papers. He then said there was a "strong possibility" that he would be acquitted. First such case During the sentencing, Justice Hoo Sheau Peng said that this appears to be the first case that considers a spousal relationship and whether it gives rise to abuse or breach of trust in sexual offences. Reporters reported that Hoo agreed with the prosecution that the victim had placed some degree of trust in her husband, having allowed him to return to the flat and the master bedroom. However, the judge stated that the abuse of trust was not of the highest severity compared to relationships between parents and children or teachers and students. Hoo said a power imbalance was "absent" in this particular relationship, and said the couple had "a pattern of using sex to resolve their marital issues". Hoo added that the man's actions were "atypical" and accepted his defence that he likely engaged in the offence in a "misguided attempt" to repair their marriage. Hoo pointed out that even though the couple had been separated for several months at the time, they would still meet and have sex. While the man's conduct was "reprehensible", Hoo did not find that the abuse of the wife's trust particularly heightened his culpability. Hoo also heard the prosecution's arguments on whether the harm done to the wife was an aggravating factor. Prosecutors highlighted that the wife had testified that she was "afraid, violated and terrified" during the assault and in the years since, and that she still lives in fear. She said her whole life "is a mess" and that she fears her husband will attack her again. Hoo said the emotional harm to the wife was undisputed, but said there was not enough evidence to show it was so severe as to be an aggravating factor for the offence. The wife had no physical injuries. Hoo found the man had obtained a prepaid card and burner phone intending to avoid detection and, with a degree of premeditation, to obstruct justice. However, she agreed that "it appeared" the man had made calls in hopes of preserving his marriage and resolving the couple's issues, even though he also wanted the victim to drop the claims. Hoo adjusted the sentence further after considering how the man knew he inflicted pain on his family, especially his children, whom "he dearly loves" and had to be separated from. The man's defence lawyer said he intends to file an appeal against the conviction and sentence. SINGAPORE – While making a right turn, a car driver allegedly hit a power-assisted bicycle (PAB) at a cross junction, injuring both the rider and the person riding pillion.
Lee Chee Guan, 48, was charged on July 24 with two counts of driving without reasonable consideration for other road users – one for causing grievous hurt and one for causing hurt. Lee was at the cross junction of Havelock Road and Outram Road on Oct 9, 2023, at 8.59pm when he purportedly failed to give way and his car collided into the PAB, which was heading straight from the opposite direction. Mr Muhammed Alif Rose Lee, 43, suffered grievous hurt, while Ms Nurhayati Roslan, 34, who was riding pillion, was hurt. Court documents did not state their exact injuries. Lee was one of six drivers hauled to court on July 24 for alleged involvement in traffic accidents that caused grievous hurt to victims. The six accidents took place within a period of seven months, from June 2023 to Jan 2024. In a statement issued on July 24, the Traffic Police urged all motorists to abide by traffic rules and said it would continue to act firmly against errant motorists. In another case, a car driven by Pauline Kay Shu Liang, 60, allegedly veered into the opposite lane in Bukit Batok East Avenue 5 on Jan 3 and hit a parked lorry. The two car passengers – Madam Soh Kim Hoe, 82, and Ms Naw Ei Ei Soe, 27 – were injured. Court documents did not state their relationship with each other. In another case, van driver Ang Kok Lam, 48, was travelling in Buangkok East Drive on June 4, 2023, when his vehicle allegedly hit the rear of a car, causing it to surge forward and hit a taxi. The car driver suffered grievous injuries. In the three other cases, the victims were motorcyclists who were also grievously hurt. On June 4, 2023, driver Saw Sin Cheong, 66, purportedly beat the red light at the junction of Central Boulevard and Straits View and his car hit motorcyclist Muhammad Firdaus Abdullah, 33. Another offender, Tricia Tang Bee Pheng, 50, was said to be changing lanes in Changi South Avenue 1 on Oct 19, 2023, when her car hit motorcyclist Muhammad Nazri Roslan, 29. In the last case, Lee Kok Lian, 57, was making a U-turn in Upper Bukit Timah Road on Sept 25, 2023, when his car allegedly hit motorcyclist Khalid Mohamad Gaous, 25. All six drivers were offered bail of $10,000. Their cases are scheduled to be heard again in August. There were more traffic accidents resulting in injuries and fatalities in 2023 compared with 2022, according to the Traffic Police’s annual report in February. The number of fatal accidents jumped 26 per cent, from 104 cases in 2022 to 131 cases in 2023, while there were 6,944 accidents that resulted in injuries in 2023, a 2.4 per cent increase from 6,779 in 2022. To tackle this, the Traffic Police said it would increase the composition sums and demerit points for certain offences. More details will be announced later in 2024. Currently, an offender convicted of dangerous driving causing grievous hurt could be jailed for between one and five years and disqualified from driving. The offence of driving without due care or reasonable consideration carries a jail term of up to 12 months and a fine of up to $2,500 if it causes hurt. If an accident causes grievous hurt, an offender faces a maximum jail term of two years and a maximum fine of $5,000. SINGAPORE - The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) on July 24 advised people not to buy or consume a coffee product that is marketed for weight loss, after it was found to contain a banned substance.
The product, V-SHOU Premium Coffee, is sold on various local e-commerce platforms and claims to promote quicker slimming results, accelerate fat burning, soothe the digestive system and control appetite, among other things, SFA said. It is unclear which country this product originated from. SFA added that it has worked with e-commerce platforms to remove listings of the product and issued warnings to sellers to stop selling the product “with immediate effect”. This comes after the banned substance, sibutramine, was found in the product, SFA said. Sibutramine, a prescription-only weight-loss medicine, has been banned in Singapore since 2010 due to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke associated with its use. Other serious health consequences reported with its use include heart problems and central nervous system disorders, such as psychosis and hallucinations. There have also been reports of seizures, SFA said. The agency advised consumers who have bought the product to not take it. “Those who have consumed the implicated products and have concerns about their health should seek medical advice,” it added. SFA urged the public to be mindful of the “risks associated with consuming food bought from unknown or unverified sources”, and advised them to seek more information before making purchases. The agency said it “will not hesitate to take stern enforcement actions against anyone who sells and supplies unsafe food products adulterated with banned substances or potent ingredients”. It is an offence to sell unsafe food in Singapore. Offenders may be fined up to $5,000, while repeat offenders may be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to three months, or both. Those with information on the sale and supply of V-SHOU Premium Coffee may write to SFA at www.sfa.gov.sg/feedback A 15-year-old boy in Singapore has been arrested for allegedly helping loansharks harass "clients" in Woodlands and Yishun.
He had supposedly done so in a bid to raise money for a S$1,700 e-bike. Helped loan sharks A police statement said that police were alerted to the incidents on Jul. 17 and 18. The debtors, who lived at Woodlands Ave 6 and Yishun Ave 11, had their doors and gates plashed with grey paint. Debtor's notes were also left at their gates. A photo provided by the police showed a note found at the scene, which read: "O$P$. You better come out settle your problem, if not next time I come to burn [your house]." Investigations led to the teenager, who was arrested on Jul. 18. Wanted to buy e-bike Seeing her son handcuffed at the police station was "heartbreaking", his mother told reporters. She said her son loves cycling and wanted to earn money to buy an e-bike, which she figured should cost about S$1,700. She added that her son had discovered a way to make money through a Telegram group, in which someone told him he could earn S$800 by splashing paint on two front doors. But he was never paid his due even after completing the task. The boy ended up being charged in court on Jul. 19 under the Moneylenders Act 2008. For first-time offenders, loanshark harassment carries a fine between S$5,000 and S$50,000, a jail term of up to five years, and a caning of up to six strokes. A 76-year-old woman was crossing the road when a black BMW car allegedly hit her along Bukit Batok West Avenue 6 towards Bukit Batok East Avenue 6 at about 5:55pm on Jul. 20.
As a result of the collision, she was reportedly flung into the air and landed more than 10m away from the area of impact. Blood seen on road When reporters arrived at the scene of the accident, the BMW car was found parked in the middle of the road while a man, believed to have been the driver, was assisting with police investigations. The elderly woman, whose body had been covered in a blue tent by the police by the time the reporter arrived, was lying on the road in front of the car. The reporter also saw blood on the road. Police moved the woman's body onto a police vehicle at around 8pm, reported Shin Min. BMW driver 'appeared composed' A witness of the accident, named Raj (transliteration), told reporters that he was driving out of a car park at Block 113A Bukit Batok West Avenue 6 when the accident took place "in the blink of an eye", which saw the elderly woman thrown into the air. Raj immediately got out of his car to check on the woman, but she was unresponsive. He said blood was flowing out from her mouth and ears. Raj added that the driver stopped the car after hitting the woman. "The driver also appeared composed and even took out the memory card of his dash camera upon getting out of his car," Raj said. Woman passed away, BMW driver arrested The Singapore Police Force and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) confirmed with reporters that they were alerted to the fatal accident at around 6pm on Jul. 20. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene by a SCDF paramedic. The BMW car driver, a 59-year-old man, was arrested for careless driving causing death. Police investigations are ongoing. SINGAPORE - A policeman who misappropriated cash totalling more than $90,000 entrusted to him when he was an investigation officer (IO) was sentenced to four years and four months’ jail on July 23.
At the time of the offences, Mohamad Danial Mohamad Nazali was a senior staff sergeant with the Singapore Police Force (SPF), and he committed them from 2017 to 2020. The money was linked to 24 cases that he was handling. Before handing down the sentence, District Judge Crystal Tan said that a deterrent sentence was warranted in Danial’s case, stressing that he had made a fundamental breach in his duties. She also said that the offences were committed over several years and were difficult to detect. On June 25, Danial, 35, who was suspended in October 2020, pleaded guilty to eight counts of criminal breach of trust and five forgery charges. Twenty-eight other charges were considered during his sentencing. Danial joined the SPF in April 2009. As an IO, his tasks included facilitating the handover of restitution monies from accused people to victims and preparing acknowledgement slips to show that he had done so. However, he kept the monies for himself and forged multiple slips to cover his tracks. At the time of the offences, he was attached to Bedok Police Division as a senior IO and a deputy officer-in-charge of a general investigation squad in SPF. Reporters has contacted SPF to find out his current employment status. In earlier proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Emily Koh told the court: “The accused’s modus operandi was to take the monies seized during investigations… for his own use, to settle debts and for gambling. “(He) would then forge acknowledgment slips and statements from victims to show that the monies had been returned to the victim in order to conceal the fact that he had misappropriated (them).” Among other things, Danial handled a cheating case involving a 61-year-old Indonesian male defendant and a 38-year-old complainant – a Singaporean woman. Court documents did not disclose details about the pair’s case, but on Nov 9, 2017, the man met Danial at Bedok Police Division headquarters and handed him $5,000 in cash, which was supposed to be given to the woman as restitution. Danial then issued him an acknowledgment slip. The prosecutor said: “(Danial) was supposed to return the money to the complainant… but he did not do so. Instead, he used the money to place bets on soccer betting and on personal expenses.” He also forged a slip to show that he had purportedly handed her the money. The court heard that he went on to commit similar offences multiple times after this incident. They came to light after one of his superiors – a superintendent at Bedok Police Division – received Danial’s annual credit bureau screening on Oct 15, 2020. The DPP said: “It was discovered that (Danial) had accumulated unsecured debts of close to three months of his monthly salary, based on his credit report from the Credit Bureau of Singapore, and… he had taken loans from several licensed moneylenders and his colleagues.” Danial was on leave when the superintendent, who was then the head of investigation at the division, asked two assistant superintendents to conduct a check on Danial’s workstation and cabinets. The assistant superintendents were going through investigation files under Danial’s charge when they discovered copies of police acknowledgment slips. The documents were linked to monies which he had received from people who were involved in cases that he had investigated. Danial was later confronted with the findings, and he came clean about what he had done. He was arrested on Oct 17, 2020, and suspended from duties five days later. His bail was set at $20,000 on July 23, and he is expected to begin serving his sentence on Aug 13. Woman, baby found dead at foot of block in 2023: Mum was worried about child’s growth, say police7/23/2024 SINGAPORE – A mother, who was found dead with her one-year-old daughter at the foot of a Housing Board flat in 2023, had been worried about her baby’s development.
Her husband noticed she had been moody and listless at home, often lying in bed with their daughter. One day, on Nov 5, 2023, he came home from church in the afternoon to find their bodies at the foot of their block. On July 23, a coroner’s inquiry was conducted into their deaths. As the woman has a surviving son, State Coroner Adam Nakhoda imposed a gag order on the identities of the mother and daughter, their family members and their address. Police investigation officer (IO) Clarice Koh, who was the sole witness in the inquiry, told the court that the couple, son and daughter lived in an HDB flat. At about 10am on the day of the incident, a Sunday, the woman’s husband noticed she was not preparing to leave for church. She said she would stay home as their daughter was unwell. Her husband then left with their son, as the boy insisted on going to church. On the way there, the husband texted his wife on his phone, but she did not reply. He did not find this unusual, as she usually would not be on her phone while caring for their daughter. At about 12.35pm, a resident who was hanging clothes outside her balcony saw something fall, one after another, and heard loud thuds. She saw the mother and daughter on the ground and called the police. Mother and daughter were pronounced dead at the scene. The husband returned home at about 1.30pm and saw a police cordon at the foot of their block. Realising his wife and daughter were not home, he asked police officers at the ground floor if there were two bodies. The officers showed him photos and he confirmed their identities. IO Koh said the husband noticed his wife had temper outbursts after giving birth to their son in 2019. The outbursts subsided after two years. After their daughter was born, his wife was worried as the infant was found to be underdeveloped and underweight at one year old during a check-up. The woman’s parents also noticed she was more irritable and kept to herself, with her father noting she took fewer photos of the children. IO Koh said that in both the hospital check-ups after giving birth to the children, the woman did not show signs of mental issues and was deemed not at risk of post-natal depression. The police do not suspect foul play. State Coroner Nakhoda will deliver his findings on Aug 22. SINGAPORE – About 50 firefighters took around two hours to extinguish a blaze that broke out in the early hours of July 23 at a warehouse in Seletar.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted to the fire at 21 Seletar West Farmway 1 at about 2.35am, the agency said in a Facebook post later that day. The fire involved a single-storey warehouse, measuring about 30m by 20m, that contained an office and scaffolding material. It was extinguished with three water jets and an unmanned firefighting machine. Ten emergency vehicles were also deployed to fight the fire. No injuries were reported, said SCDF, adding that it was damping down the affected area. Damping down, which is the application of water to wet burnt surfaces immediately after a fire has been put out, is carried out to ensure that deep-seated embers are fully extinguished to prevent any rekindling of the fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation. |
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