SINGAPORE: A man overseeing a hotel in Beach Road was charged in court on Monday (Dec 18) with allowing sex workers to occupy rooms at the establishment.
Michael Tay Fook Meng, a 51-year-old Singaporean, was handed one count of contravening the Hotel Licensing Regulations as a “hotel keeper”.
According to the Hotels Licensing Board, a hotel keeper must be a person who holds a post of chief executive officer, general manager or an equivalent role at the hotel.
The charge sheet stated that Tay’s receptionist, Do Thi Tuyet Nhung, allowed three people whom she knew to be sex workers to occupy rooms at the Lion Peak Hotel Bugis on Apr 26, 2023.
Under the Hotels Act, managers are liable for any act by an employee that contravenes the Hotels Licensing Regulations.
Tay is accused of flouting Regulation 24 of the Hotels Licensing Regulations, which states that no licensee shall permit any person whom he knows or has reason to believe is a sex worker, catamite or bad character to occupy a room in the hotel or to frequent the premises.
According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, a catamite was a boy kept by a man in ancient Greece and Rome for him to have sex with.
Tay was represented by Ms Mary Magdeline Pereira from Whitefield Law Corporation.
He will return to court in January.
If convicted, he could be fined up to S$1,000 if he is a first-time offender, or double that if he is a repeat offender.
On top of this, the court may cancel or suspend any certificate or registration, or cancel any licence granted under the Hotels Act.