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SINGAPORE: Opposition lawyer and politician Lim Tean was arrested on Tuesday (October 2) for alleged criminal breach of trust and is also under investigation for alleged unlawful harassment, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said on Friday.
The arrest came after Lim failed to comply with a police notice to attend a mandatory interview on Monday to help with investigations into the two alleged crimes, police said.
“As Mr. Lim Tean did not cooperate with the notification to attend an interview with the police and had clearly stated that he had no intention of complying, the police had no choice but to arrest Mr. Lim Tean to carry out the investigations,” He said. SPF in a press release.
“This would not have been necessary, if he complied with the police notice to come for an interview,” they added.
ALLEGED CRIMES
The police said that Mr. Lim’s former client’s lawyer had filed a police report alleging that Mr. Lim had misappropriated a sum of money awarded to him by the court as compensation. Lim had acted on behalf of the former client in a motor injury lawsuit, police said.
Separately, a former Lim employee also filed a police report against him, claiming that she was harassed by him while working at his law firm, police said.
The employee has referred the police to the text messages that were exchanged between her and Mr. Lim, they added.
POLICE INTERVIEW
The police contacted Mr. Lim and sent him a written notice under the Code of Criminal Procedure on September 23 to attend a mandatory interview on September 28 at the police cantonment complex to assist with the investigations of alleged crimes.
They also told Mr. Lim that he could reschedule the interview if he wanted, police said.
“However, Mr. Lim Tean responded through his lawyer on September 27 that he did not intend to appear for any police interviews. He also made unsubstantiated allegations that the investigations against him were politically motivated,” police said.
“The police have the responsibility to investigate complaints that are made, if prima facie they reveal a basis for future investigations. Persons summoned for police interviews must comply.
“The alleged victims of Mr. Lim Tean had filed police complaints alleging serious crimes committed by him against them, and the police have a duty to investigate the allegations,” they said.
Attorney M Ravi said in a Facebook post on Friday that Lim has instructed him to act as a defense attorney.
According to Ravi, Lim was preparing for a defamation trial next week when he was arrested. It depicts writer Leong Sze Hian, who is being sued by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for defamation.
The trial is scheduled to begin Tuesday.
Mr. Leong told CNA that he did not know of any allegations against Mr. Lim prior to the arrest, which occurred at Mr. Lim’s office, and was “shocked” by what happened.
