An alleged loanshark runner faces 26 more charges on Wednesday (Jun 24), after he was accused of burning a flat in Jurong East as a harassment tactic.
Mohamed Ashyik Mohamed Shawal, 31, now faces a total of 27 charges, with five of them being charges for harassing a person in connection with a loan by setting fire to the borrower’s unit or that of another person.
One of the five charges was for a unit that was on the same floor as the flat related to his previous charge.
Three of the 27 charges were in connection to the accused handing over bank ATM cards and personal identification numbers of three bank accounts, each under a different bank, to a loanshark.
For these charges, Ashyik had allegedly committed these offences between Jun 8 to 15. Besides acting on behalf of an unlicensed moneylender known as “Denzel”, several charges were for another moneylender known as “Marco”.
On one particular charge, Ashyik had allegedly wrote on the lift landing of a block in Sengkang, “I can put paper I also can plan fire (sic)”.
“Want play I can play bigger… better call me now or I smash ur neighbour house (sic),” the message continued.
Ashyik was previously accused on Jun 17 of loanshark harassment by fire of to a unit on the 12th floor of Block 272 Toh Guan Road. He also allegedly wrote “O$PS” using a black marker on the lift landing of the 12th floor, citing a unit number on the 11th floor directly below the affected unit and the handphone number of a person called Jax.
The accused, whose identity was established with the aid of police cameras, was arrested at Toa Payoh Lorong 5 on Jun 15. During the operation, loanshark-related paraphernalia such as paint cans, bicycle chain locks and marker pens were seized.
Bail was offered at S$80,000, and the case has been adjourned until Jul 22. The accused said before District Judge Eddy Tham that he intended to apply for legal aid.
First-time offenders found guilty of acting on behalf of an unlicensed moneylender, committing or attempting to commit any acts of harassment face up to five years’ jail, a fine of between S$5,000 and S$50,000, and three to six strokes of the cane.
If found guilty of assisting an unlicensed moneylender, Ashyik faces up to four years’ jail and a fine of between S$30,000 and S$300,000.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
