Prosecution and defence clash in arguing for jail term of months versus weeks for S Iswaran

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DEFENCE ANSWERS WHY GUILTY PLEAS ONLY NOW.

Before the trial indicated it would no more get proceeding with the bribery charges, defense counsel Davinder Singh asked the judge to take into account what was” the state of play and the color of the case” before he indicated that he would no longer be proceeding with the corruption charges.

CPIB began conducting studies in July 2023.

” At that time, my customer had been an MP since 1997, and had served as a minister since 2006. It’s crucial to comprehend what was being interpreted as being at the heart of the case against my client at the time,” said Mr. Singh.

He cited claims by companies, many news reports about Iswaran’s imprisonment, and debates in parliament, focusing on the two corruption costs when the bulk of Iswaran’s costs were under Section 165.

Mr. Singh read out the headlines from The Straits Times, CNA, and the BBC, as well as the names of the liveblogs that were published on Tuesday night.

” Mr Iswaran’s position from day one has been that the ( corruption ) charges were baseless. He denied the charges from the very first, and has consistently maintained that placement”, said Mr Singh.

” He was put in the position where he had to contest the case against him in light of the ( corruption ) charges. As your dignity will recollect, to that end he requested an early test. He was the one who wanted the test to start as soon as possible, despite the fact that he was the accused.

He claimed Iswaran was the one who requested a combined test.

According to Mr. Singh,” He did not want the trial of the Ong Beng Seng charges, which included the two ( corruption ) charges, to be delayed because he claimed it would be unfair and prejudicial to him because Mr. Ong is 78 and that it would be unfair to him if Mr. Ong is unable to testify because of his age or health,” he said. ” In other words, it was important for him to be acquitted in court in relation to the charges involving Mr Ong Beng Seng, which included the ( corruption ) charges”.

Mr Singh said his lawyer’s case was understood to be a case involving bribery charges, while the other crimes were described as “other crimes” or “lesser fees”.

” Why is that pertinent”? he asked. ” It is relevant because if the reality in Singapore is that- that is how the ( corruption ) charges are understood, and given how Singaporeans view the ( corruption ) charges as evidenced by these reports, it was not only reasonable but entirely necessary for my client to contest the ( corruption ) charges”.

He claimed that Iswaran did that until the trial changed the allegations to those made under Section 165.

” That event, on account of the further representations, changed the complexion of the entire case and of course changed the seriousness of the allegation under the ( corruption ) charges”, said Mr Singh.

He explained that the disgorgement could not have been done sooner because it would have” colored the view taken on those charges” and would have had an impact on the defense on all other expenses as well.

According to Mr. Singh, Part 165 allows him to acknowledge that accepting the things from the two men was bad.

When CPIB initially interviewed him, he claimed that the gifts were given to him as a result of his friends with Mr. Ong and Mr. Lum.

Mr. Iswaran also argued that while he was unaware of Segment 165 of the Penal Code at the time, he entirely comprehends that being ignorant of the law is a justification, according to Mr. Singh.

Iswaran believes that accepting that what he did was wrong under Section 165 is the right thing to do, according to the attorney, who supported the act of the costs.

Mr. Iswaran is also conscious of not allowing his home, the people he loves the most, to continue to bear the brunt of what has happened.

Iswaran’s woman, who was in the open exhibition supporting him, bore no expression on her face as this was said.

Mr. Singh argued that the ex-minister’s crimes under Section 165 resulted in no harm or little hurt, with no loss of revenue as a result of the products being given either as a gift or on the giver’s own authority.

He noted that Iswaran’s appointment as the transport minister was merely effective between May 2021 and January 2024. Before this time, Mr. Lum had an interest in the agreement that he was interested in, and LTA did no honor any contracts to his companies while Iswaran was the transport minister.

Additionally, Mr. Singh argued that there was no evidence that Iswaran’s commitment to the government was always questioned.

The most effective message that can be sent is” the fact that there is a prosecutors against my client under 165,” said Mr. Singh. ” And if you ask someone in Singapore, however outside Singapore nowadays, about whether that transmission has already been sent… the answer is indeed”!

He claimed that there is no evidence to suggest that the public’s trust in the government’s fairness and integrity has been eroded.

” The authorities sent the message that that is undesirable the time the government learned about these things having been given to my customer.” Therefore, we’re not talking about a situation where these items have been given; instead, the general public is discussing it. It’s eroded trust in the government as it is perceived as permissible. That’s not the event”, said Mr Singh.

He cited Iswaran’s accusations and inquired where there was evidence that the minister’s department or authority had been used, “much less misused or abused.”

” The people became aware that my customer had accepted the goods both while he was being charged and because of that.” When the people in the society and the earth learn about the things my customer is charged with on the day of his arrest and because of him, what does that do is uphold and deliver the strongest indication that the state is upholding its historic commitment to honesty and integrity. In other words, it may cost one of its own ministries”, said Mr Singh.

Taking problem with the prosecution’s submission that Iswaran was more than a quiet receiver of the products, the prosecutor said:” No contempt. I do n’t follow this. If you look at the Doha charge, he was asked whether he’d like to go, and he said yes, and he had his reasons for going”.

” He wanted to see how a small city like Doha organises world-class events, which is relevant to Singapore. Where is the active? He was a public servant at the time, and whether or not he actually capitalized on it, according to Mr. Singh.

He claimed that Iswaran’s claim that he had compromised his position as the government’s chief negotiator in terms of the F1 race had no factual support for the prosecution.

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Shopping on Qoo10 effectively halted as MAS orders e-commerce platform to suspend payment services

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The Monetary Authority of Singapore ( MAS ) has mandated that the e-commerce platform Qoo10 suspend all Singaporean payment services starting Monday ( Sep 23 ) because of delays in the payment process for its customers.

Customers are currently able to make purchases on the program, despite the company’s being given an exception for operating its e-commerce system.

” Qoo10&nbsp, may need to employ a third party payment service provider for deals on this platform”, said MAS.

Between April and August, MAS and various government agencies received many consumer complaints against Qoo10 for disruptions in processing obligations to users, who are retailers on Qoo10’s system.

” Qoo10 was asked to handle these issues, and while some were resolved, others remained outstanding”, said MAS in a press release. &nbsp,

In early September, Qoo10 informed MAS that a considerable number of merchants would experience repayment difficulties. MAS engaged the product’s management about the difficulties and expressed its” major issues”.

The expert stated that MAS gave Qoo10 opportunities to address these issues and that the business had to cooperate with MAS in order to fulfill its obligations to merchants on an ongoing basis, including working with a third-party payment service provider to provide the covered services.

However, Qoo10 has to date said it lacks the” enough guarantee” it needs to fulfill its payment commitments to retailers in a timely manner.

The program was therefore given the order to end its transaction services, which are subject to the Payment Services Act, on Monday.

According to MAS, “MAS has taken into account the possible disruption the expulsion may have on Qoo10’s e-commerce system or other solutions that are integrated with the included payments services.”

” But, allowing Qoo10 to keep offering protected payment services would increase the risk of larger outstanding debts and potential losses for more stores using Qoo10’s protected payment service.

” Qoo10 may be permitted to make obligations to meet exceptional claims by like merchants, but may not take on new transaction obligations.”

In response to queries from CNA, MAS said that&nbsp, Qoo10 offered merchant consolidation, account release, private money move, cross-border money transfer and e-money issuance services.

” All five companies are suspended,” a spokeswoman for the expert said. &nbsp, &nbsp,

CNA reported earlier this month that some retailers have filed says with a judge and that police are looking into the e-commerce program.

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Transactions affected at some NETS terminals; company working to restore services

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SINGAPORE: &nbsp, NETS-related services at about 5 per cent of the company’s terminal network have been affected since Monday morning ( Sep 23 ), with QR, PIN and tap transactions disrupted.

Customers were advised to use alternative forms of payment, such as cash or Singapore Quick Response Codes (SGQR ) in a Facebook post at 10.12am. &nbsp,

” The problem was discovered this day. In response to CNA’s questions, the company responded,” We are working to restore the company as soon as possible and sorry for the pain caused.”

Around 7 am, a CNA readers who works for a financial company who requested anonymity claimed that the majority of their locations began having trouble processing credit card transactions and conducting batch settlements.

The issues&nbsp, specifically concerned DBS and POSB accounts and they had not been resolved by Monday afternoon.

According to him,” after speaking with our help representative, the support representative has even mentioned that another merchants have reported similar issues involving NETS payment outages.”

” Until then, we are still unable to perform Baskets and card deals”.

DBS stated in a Facebook post that it was informed that some Traps terminals partially were unavailable for payment transactions. &nbsp,

” You can continue to utilize DBS/POSB digibank and PayLah! to record and give SGQR codes. You can also make payment via Pay Now”, the lender added.

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‘Very challenging’ to deal with parents who expect immediate responses to messages: Teachers

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MOSTLY Knowledge, A FEW CHALLENGING Families

Most families are understanding and some even sorry for contacting them after school time, according to all the teachers CNA spoke to, though a small minority who are ridiculous may be “very difficult” to deal with. &nbsp,

Some parents opt to call Penelope to inquire if she knows where their children may be after school days. &nbsp,

” It’s a bit overboard because we would n’t know … ( They expect teachers ) to provide solutions immediately or address issues immediately”, she said, adding that this happens even late at night. &nbsp,

Older students are also a significant portion of those who call faculty after college. Particularly after the COVID-19 crisis, class WhatsApp group messages created by educators are popular, Penelope said.

Individuals also have her personal phone number for situations, she added. &nbsp,

” If they do n’t get an immediate response, they can get very upset and it can be blown up. However, frequently we are unable to give that prompt reply to so many kids at once.

Another professor, Timothy, said he does no reply to every message sent outside school hours. &nbsp,

For instance, if a family has concerns about potential bullying or health issues, the primary school teacher will quickly tell them that he will investigate the situation the following day. &nbsp,

” But if it asks me what to wear tomorrow, I’m only going to completely disregard the information,” Timothy said. &nbsp,

” The next day, I’ll talk to the child about it, and tell the kid it’s never mama’s and daddy’s work to do such a point. It’s your responsibility to determine what you need to take or to take note of it in your student handbook.

Although he has n’t encountered “nasty” parents, some have asked to call him on the weekends or at night on weekdays because they are only available at that time. &nbsp,

Over the years, he has observed that more kids today work full-time with “inflexible” time. &nbsp,

” I believe the policy may just work on paper, but it might not be as effective on the ground because of all these different factors that teachers and even families themselves cannot control,” he said.

Parents frequently text Betty, who also teaches in a primary school, about their child’s illness, being unable to attend school the following day, or having other” simple concerns” regarding homework or planning. &nbsp,

” Personally, I’m fine if it’s just a communication to tell. But of course, it’s not good to see such a text at 11pm. I would like my parents to delay until the workdays to tell me.”

Instead of approaching the tutor with their answers, parents can examine their children’s student book, the Parents Gateway program, or even the school site first, she said. &nbsp,

Instead of just making it easy for themselves by calling the instructor for everything, parents should always speak to these options before speaking with the instructor.

Additionally, Mr. Chan, the minister of education, announced on Wednesday that parents may register their children’s health certificates on the Families Gateway app by the end of the year rather than sending them to teachers. &nbsp,

According to Matilda, a teacher in a secondary school, this will cut down on the administrative work required to physically register a student’s health certificate or parents ‘ letter when they are unavailable. &nbsp,

” The draining part of the process is the students who do n’t pass the MCs to us or require a lot of reminders… and this could be because of forgetfulness on the students ‘ part, or understandably, some parents are very swamped”, she said. &nbsp,

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The lead architect of Cross Island Line’s Tavistock MRT on what it takes to build an underground station

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Even before this takes area, streets and open roads need to be diverted. Hundreds of trees will also be uprooted in the process, and the same number of trees will need to be replanted after train execution, Leong explained.

Since the drilling and design takes spot amid schools, and personal, financial and offices spaces, noise barriers have to be built earlier.

It is a time-consuming and multi-disciplinary operation involving not only Leong and her structural group, but more than 100 experts of various fields – structural engineers, fire engineers, sound engineers, landscape architects and traffic engineers.

A Travel Level EVEN MORE THAN A TRANSIT POINT

Other notable characteristics of Tod building include size and scale.

Infrastructure projects are very valuable because they are a part of our social fabric and millions of people travel through them every day, according to Leong.

” A lodge or buying mall is the end stage, the target. However, temporary use is common in transportation infrastructure, such as an MRT station. You do n’t go to the station as you would a mall for shopping. You traverse it.

” Think of it as a moving equipment. It is about maintaining constant movement, and connecting and bringing folks to places.

Leong remarked,” We conduct a lot of models to ensure that the flow of people, railways, and everything else is as easy as we can make it.”

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‘Why do you use so much plastic?’: Tables turned as CNA reporter faces tough questions – from preschoolers

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However, as the period progressed, things started to get heated.

” Why do you want to be a reporter”? a more specific keyword that made me consider my lifestyle choices.

I ended up yanking the question up at my passionate audience and enticing them to become as adults.

Popular forbids included “teacher”, “navy” and even the strange “reporter” or two, which possibly indicated some desire for the advertising business.

But to the end of the session, it was obvious that the children were concerned about the effects of vinyl and the environment. &nbsp,

” Why do you use so much plastic”? was a particularly challenging issue for me, and I politely responded,” I never really thought about the culture and really lived my life typically.”

Another&nbsp, pointed keyword was” Why do you keep forgetting to take your own water container”?

Despite their sweet time, the children were more well-informed. &nbsp, For one, they understood the concept of micro-plastics and how they affect aquatic career. &nbsp,

To my nice amazement, they had also drawn some real-world instructions from the CNA have to.

One of the group’s preschoolers described how her family began recycling her blistered contact lenses. Another query was raised regarding what possible plastic-free strategies might be.

” I bring my own bag when I go shopping because I do n’t want to use plastic bags”, said one student.

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‘Don’t know where to turn’: Singapore drivers face uncertainty, mull alternatives as Malaysia VEP deadline looms

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Innox’s public administrator Christopher Leow told CNA that there has been an “overwhelming” number of requests for its service, with most of them from individuals who are “less technology savvy”. &nbsp,

Mr. Leow explained that some drivers have trouble with the intricacies of the application process, such as installing RFID tags on the vehicles and connecting the Touch’N Go e-wallets with their registrations. &nbsp,

He said,” The more programs we handle, the more comfortable we get with the system,” noting that there were even the smallest details that may annoy potential clients. &nbsp, &nbsp,

He further advised owners who have n’t installed their VEP to avoid entering Malaysia because everything stands between the chance of being caught by breaking the law.

” Because they have made it clear that secret car owners may receive fines and even jail time starting in October.” I wo n’t advise you to try entering without a VEP from a professional standpoint,” he said. &nbsp,

Vehicles TURNING TO Accommodations, TAXI SERVICES&nbsp,

Some individuals have also informed CNA that they are considering using various modes of transportation to travel across the Causeway after the date of October 1. &nbsp,

Mr. Henry Chua, a civil servant employee in Singapore, stated to CNA that he will rather use cross-border taxis for his quick, monthly short vacation in Malaysia. &nbsp,

A one-way car ride from Singapore’s Ban San Street to Johor Bahru’s Iris prices usually about S$ 60. &nbsp,

The 48-year-old added that while it costs more than driving, a day trip to JB is still less expensive and more convenient than taking a ferry to Batam or taking a flight to KL ( Kuala Lumpur ). &nbsp,

Before renting a vehicle to see his customers, who may be based in various regions of island Malaysia, Mr. Lee, who works in the construction sector, told CNA that he would think about using the KTMB Tebrau Shuttle train services to cross the border. &nbsp,

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IN FOCUS: We reported 20 illegal groups to Telegram. Most were still online 2 weeks later

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In comparison to the same period last year, there were 137.5 % more fraud cases reported on Telegram in the first quarter of this year.

Of the 8, 336 fraud cases where thieves contacted patients via messaging apps, 45 per cent used Telegram, according to the officer’s mid-year short.

Scammers may have had trouble obtaining aid from Telegram for those who have been physically affected by them.

Mr. Robin Hicks, an writer, started receiving texts next month from people who claimed to be on Telegram, or at least someone who had used his phone number. &nbsp,

What’s interesting is that the person who presented themselves as me had a different identity. It was a fresh woman”, he said. &nbsp,

The scam, who purportedly was Mr. Hicks, approached persons and even his business associates, claiming that he was in a difficult financial position and that he had been asked to borrow money.

Mr. Hicks attempted to take command of the bill after learning about the scam, but he was unable to do so because password codes are sent to the profile more than SMS.

He also sent the program a message asking his friends to delete the Telegram account. &nbsp,

In his message, he included pictures of the fictitious profile and conversations between the defrauder and his contacts.

But he did n’t get a response from Telegram.

” There was n’t even an automated response to say, hey, we’re looking into it”, he said. ” Little at all”.

The person who made up his identity remained in contact with his links for about a week or two.

” Thankfully, a lot of the contacts realised it was a hoax or a scam account, because it so obviously was n’t me”, he said, adding that there were Finnish words used in the biography of the account linked to his number.

” I believe it would have been more of a problem if they had used a photo from my LinkedIn profile or another social media account,” she said.

However, it was difficult not to notice back from Telegram, particularly since the scam had reached out to his function contacts. &nbsp,

” It was fairly obvious it’s a scammer, but if ( the picture used ) was more similar to me, it could have been potentially career wrecking”.

More than a fortnight later, he still has never heard anyone from Telegram. He just learned that some friends had helped him check the bill after it had been deleted.

Mr Gabrielle View, Mr Hicks ‘ partner and a long-time person of Telegram, said she expected the software to respond to like demands more quickly.

” My impression of ( Telegram ) is that it was very focused on security and its users. I believe I simply anticipated it to do much, at least better than WhatsApp,” said Ms View. &nbsp,

Interestingly, she said WhatsApp seems to react to con groups very quickly, maybe even before she reports them.

When Ms See first began using Telegram, she believed that it was vigilant in collaborating with its users and that it often released new features for them.

She has lost some of her gratitude for Telegram due to Mr. Hicks ‘ practice.

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