Category: Singapuraku

Ex-Lecturer From US Charged For Lying About HIV Status For Employment Pass

SINGAPORE: A former lecturer has been charged with lying about his HIV status years ago for a chance to work in Singapore.

American psychologist Mikhy K Farrera-Brochez, who lectured in two local polytechnics, allegedly hid his HIV status to gain an Employment Pass in March 2008.

It has been reported that he set up a private practice in Singapore as a child psychologist in 2008, before taking up positions at two local polytechnics.

Channel NewsAsia understands he has also worked with the World Health Organization.

Farrera-Brochez handed in an HIV negative blood test result to the Manpower Ministry on Mar 20, 2008 for his Employment Pass (EP) application. The test had allegedly been conducted with another’s blood.

Farrera-Brochez was charged in June this year with multiple offences spanning six years, including for lying to the Manpower Ministry and the police about his HIV status, refusing to undergo a medical examination, using a forged passport and taking drugs.

Court documents allege the 31-year-old fooled the Manpower Ministry into accepting an HIV blood test result in his name twice – once in 2008 and again in 2013 – “knowing that the (test) had been conducted on another person’s blood”.

The ministry would not have granted an EP had it known Farrera-Brochez’s true HIV status, his charge sheet stated.

The psychologist has also been charged with allegedly lying to two public servants – the Controller of Work Passes in 2009 and a police officer in 2014.

In the former case, Farrera-Brochez allegedly falsely declared his HIV status on an application form for an EP; in the latter, he allegedly told the police it was his blood which was tested during a 2008 HIV blood test.

Farrera-Brochez faces another two counts for allegedly failing to submit to a medical examination at the Police Cantonment Complex – once in 2014 and again in April this year. Under the Infectious Diseases Act, a person who is suspected to be HIV-positive is required to undergo a medical examination, court documents state.

The former lecturer also faces three drug-related charges for the possession and consumption of ketamine and amphetamine in May this year, and one count for using a forged passport in 2008, bringing the total number of charges he faces to 11.

Farrera-Brochez will next appear in court on Aug 18. His lawyer could not be reached for comment.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

July 16, 2016
Primary School Teacher Investigated For Abusive Punishment Of Students

Several parents, unhappy with how a maths and science teacher was disciplining students in Gongshang Primary School, have lodged complaints with the school and the Ministry of Education (MOE).

According to the parents, the female teacher from the school in Tampines — who has been relieved of her teaching duties and cannot be named as investigations into the case are still ongoing — had resorted to abusive punishment of her students in the classes she taught.

The punishments ranged from the students being called names, having to kneel beside the teacher’s table, and getting objects thrown at them.

Parents TODAY spoke to say this happened from as early as March this year. The teacher also called students who had forgotten to bring their science textbooks “a bunch of retarded monkeys”, said Ms Karen Tan, whose Primary 5 son was among the forgetful students.

The 42-year-old accountant added that her son, who has high myopia, had to constantly walk nearer to the whiteboard during lessons in class.

The teacher was said to have told the boy: “Too bad you can’t see. Go get new spectacles.”

To other students who did the same thing, she allegedly said: “Don’t you have the money to get new ones?”

In another incident that occurred before the school holidays in June, the teacher is said to have made a classmate of Ms Tan’s son sit on the floor beside her.

The student, whom Ms Tan said was “a little more playful than the rest”, was a little disruptive, and in an apparent fit of anger, the teacher allegedly threw a whiteboard marker at the boy’s head.

Ms Tan noted that while other teachers of the Primary 5 class lectured the students, only this teacher punished them to such an extent.

Ms Josephine Chua, whose son is also in the same class, told TODAY that the students often “have to dodge, because they never know what is going to get thrown their way”.

The 43-year-old homemaker said another parent had told their child’s form teacher about the teacher’s actions in March, while the science head of department was informed about the matter in April.

Ms Chua and her husband met the school’s management on Monday to discuss the teacher’s case.

TODAY understands that on Tuesday, the school sent out a circular to parents and students to inform them that the teacher had been transferred to teach non-core subjects in the school, such as art and social studies, with effect from the same day.

Her classes have been taken over by other teachers, and she is also no longer the form teacher of her class.

Mr George Cheah, the school’s vice-principal (administration), told TODAY: “The school takes any misconduct of our teachers very seriously. After receiving the parents’ feedback, the school leaders met the parents to understand their concerns.

“Our students’ welfare remains our top priority.”

Ms Chua told TODAY that the school’s decision “belittles the severity of the abuse”, and that the parents hope the teacher will be transferred out of the school, and into a non-teaching role.

Both Ms Chua and Ms Tan said they had met the teacher before during the parent-teacher sessions held before the June holidays. They described her as “patient, soft-spoken” and “cordial”.

The teacher’s alleged actions have also been detailed in a blog about motherhood, Mother Inc.

In response to TODAY’s queries, an MOE spokesperson said: “Teachers who fail to comply with our standards of conduct and discipline will be subjected to disciplinary action.

“The teacher has been relieved of her teaching duties while investigations are ongoing.”

Source: TODAY Online

July 15, 2016
Hari Raya Tahun Ini Yang Terakhir Di Dakota Crescent Bagi Penduduk Islam

Hari Raya tahun ini adalah yang terakhir di Dakota Crescent bagi para penduduk Islam di kawasan itu.

Flat-flat yang dibina pada 1958 itu bakal dirobohkan untuk memberi laluan kepada projek pembangunan semula.

Meskipun akur dengan keputusan tersebut, sebahagian penduduk berasa keberatan untuk berpindah kerana mempunyai kemudahan serta jiran-jiran yang baik.

Bagi seorang penduduk, Cik Rohani Mahmood, keriangan Syawal tahun ini bercampur-baur dengan rasa sedih.

Setelah 14 tahun mendiami flat 2 bilik di Blok 6 Dakota Crescent, beliau terpaksa berpindah pada Disember nanti.

Sambutan Hari Raya di Dakota Crescent mungkin tidak semeriah di rumah lamanya di Pasir Ris dan Yishun kerana kebanyakan penduduk di sini merupakan warga senja. Namun lebih utama bagi Cik Rohani adalah kemudahan pengangkutan yang baik di kawasan itu.

“Baru-baru kakak pindah di sini agak susah sikit sebab MRT belum siap, masih kotor, nyamuk banyak. Kami buka almari, nyamuk terbang-terbang, banyak air di longkang-longkang.

“Tetapi selepas dua tahun kakak tinggal di sini, MRT pun dah siap, Alhamdulillah, sangat bagus. Cuma kakak kadang-kadang tidak mahu fikirkan yang ini adalah hari raya terakhir di sini sebab kalau difikirkan memang sedih,” kata Cik Rohani.

Cik Rohani, seorang ibu tunggal, tinggal di flat itu bersama salah seorang daripada empat anaknya. Dua anaknya sudah berhijrah ke luar negara.

Rumah itulah tempat anggota keluarganya berkunjung dari rantauan sempena Syawal.

Anak Cik Rohani, Rifqi Mohd Kamil, berkata: “Memori yang paling manis adalah tahun lepas, bila kakak saya dari Amerika Syarikat semua turun, berkumpul bersama di sini. Saya rasa itulah yang membuat saya dan keluarga saya gembira.”

Seperti Cik Rohani, Cik Wahidah Said juga akan berpindah dari Dakota Crescent ke sebuah flat sewa yang dibina berhampiran di Cassia Link.

Cik Wahidah, 87 tahun, sudah tinggal di kawasan itu sekitar 40 tahun. Menurut salah seorang anaknya, para penduduk di situ, tidak kira kaum atau agama, sangat rapat dan mengambil berat antara satu sama lain, terutama terhadap mereka yang uzur dan lanjut usia.

“Mengapa nenek suka tinggal di sini? Kawan-kawan datang menjenguk nenek, tanya khabar, bagus,” kata Cik Wahidah.

Semangat kejiranan yang kuat itu membentuk identiti unik estet perumahan di Dakota Crescent.

Kesemua 17 blok flat di Dakota Crescent yang merupakan antara yang tertua di Singapura, akan dirobohkan di bawah pelan pembaharuan estet Mountbatten.

Source: Berita MediaCorp

July 15, 2016
Family And Friends Of StanChart Robbery Suspect Shocked By His Arrest

David James Roach’s family and friends were shocked to learn of his arrest.

The mother of the Canadian national was not aware of his arrest when Shin Min Daily News contacted her at 5am yesterday.

Roach’s mother, who was not named, told the Chinese evening daily she had not seen her son since he went abroad last August.

He had taken a break from his engineering studies at a Canadian university to travel.

His mother asked Shin Min: “Where did the robbery happen? What’s the distance between Singapore and Bangkok? Is he safe? What’s the status of the case? Will he face punishment?

“Please tell him that we miss him, we are very worried, and we love him.”

She said she would seek consular and legal assistance for her son, reported Shin Min.

A Canadian woman, who was identified as Roach’s travelling companion, was also surprised. The woman, who was not named, travelled with Roach for three months through Turkey, Iran and Nepal.

KNIFE

The host of the house that Roach stayed in while he was in Turkey was also stunned to see the Canadian’s face in the Thai media.

He said he remembered Roach distinctly because he had always placed a knife beside his bed throughout his stay.The host said he found it strange, but assumed it was for protection.

For three days before the robbery, Roach stayed at a hostel in Singapore’s Chinatown.

The hostel told Shin Min that he did not make a prior booking.

At a press conference yesterday, Mr Nithithorn Chintakanon, Deputy Commander of the Thai Tourist Police, said they took two days to trace Roach by contacting the taxi driver and examining closed-circuit television footage where he alighted the taxi, reported The Straits Times.

Roach was found with the equivalent of about $27,000 in US, Singapore and Thai currencies.

He also had a notebook that contained the same phrases he had allegedly written on the slip of paper used to rob the bank.

The note reportedly said: “This is a robbery, I have a weapon, give me money, don’t call police.”

It also contained nine steps on how to commit the robbery, and five steps on how to flee Singapore, as well as plans to commit robberies in Chiang Mai and Dubai, Shin Min reported.

Source: The New Paper

July 15, 2016
Footage Of Mystery 2011 SMRT Bishan Depot Break-In, Vandalism Emerges

Fresh video footage of the culprits who broke into SMRT’s Bishan Depot five years ago and vandalised a train carriage has turned up online.

The footage, part of a 12-episode video series to market a photo book by an American duo who called themselves “Utah and Ether”, showed three people crossing the canal at the Bishan SMRT depot at night and cutting a hole through the fence.

Two of them — with their faces covered — were filmed spray painting one of the trains in the depot with the words “jet setter’s” before escaping through the fence again.

The culprits behind the act on August 17, 2011 have never been identified or arrested. Media reports have identified “Utah and Ether” as Danielle Bremner and Jim Clay Harper, respectively. It is unclear, however, if they are behind the Bishan Depot break-in.

SMRT was fined S$200,000 by the Land Transport Authority in October 2011 for that security lapse. SMRT’s trains were vandalised in similar fashion in separate incidents in 2010 and 2014.

Shin Min Daily News reported on the footage of the Bishan Depot break-in on Thursday, though the video was first posted online on April 29 this year. When approached, SMRT said the issue was a police matter.

According to media reports in Australia and Hong Kong, Harper is in jail while Bremner is said to be on the run from the authorities. Harper was arrested in Melbourne on May 4 this year, after a man confronted him about defacing shops. He was jailed at the end of May for six months.

“The Singapore Police Force is aware of the arrest and is currently working with the Australian authorities to facilitate investigations into the case of vandalism reported at Bishan MRT depot in August 2011,” said the police in a statement.

Following Harper’s arrest, Bremner and another Australian graffiti artist went on the run from the Australian authorities for almost four weeks before boarding a plane and flying to Hong Kong, reported Australia’s The Age newspaper.

According to reports, Harper and Bremner were charged in 2008 for vandalising trains when they returned to the United States from Europe. They were to have been on probation for five years after their release.

However, they broke probation by boarding on a plane to India in 2011. Their book, which is sold on The Grifters website, purportedly documents their travels to 11 countries and 37 cities in Asia where they vandalised a number of subways.

Source: TODAY Online

July 15, 2016