Four former employees of the defunct Mobile Air shop at Sim Lim Square did not plead guilty to cheating offences yesterday despite earlier indicating they would do so.
Kam Kok Keong, 31; Edmund Lim Hong Ching, 33; and Kelvin Lim Zhi Wei, 32, yesterday asked the court for more time because they wanted to engage lawyers to “reduce charges”.
They each face one to eight cheating-related charges, with the amounts involved ranging from S$330 to S$3,710.
Koh Guan Seng, 38, the fourth accused, has engaged lawyer Edmund Wong, who told the court he had not been instructed if his client would plead guilty. Koh faces 15 charges of cheating involving S$9,789.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Eunice Lim said yesterday that she was prepared to proceed with seven charges against Koh and have the remaining eight taken into consideration for sentencing, if he pleaded guilty.
Kam will have four charges proceeded with and the remaining four will be taken into consideration for sentencing if he pleads guilty, she said.
All of the accused are out on bail and their cases have been set for a pre-trial conference on Thursday, the same day as that of co-accused and Mobile Air owner Jover Chew Chiew Loon.
Chew, 33, faces 25 cheating-related charges involving a total of S$14,449 as well as one charge of criminal intimidation.
Mobile Air gained infamy last year after Vietnamese tourist Pham Van Thoai was filmed going down on his knees to beg for a refund for a phone he had purchased from there. The shop also made the news for returning S$1,010 in coins to a customer. However, both victims are not named in the charges.
After the five men were arrested last month, the police said that their victims ended up paying for mobile phones at much higher prices or had to pay fees to cancel the deal.
Source: www.todayonline.com
