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SINGAPORE – The 21-year-old who skipped a court appearance on Monday (March 22) where he was supposed to plead guilty to sexual assault charges has been arrested.
Police said they detained him on Tuesday, the same day their friend, Oh Swee Hong, 21, was detained for allegedly harboring him.
The fugitive is one of two men accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl when she got drunk after a game of Truth or Dare.
Her co-defendant has already pleaded guilty to raping the girl.
The man faces one count of attempted rape and two counts of penetrative sexual assault.
The two men accused of sexual assault cannot be named due to a gag order to protect the identity of the victim.
The defendant was 18 years old when he allegedly committed the crimes on October 17, 2017, at the foot of a block from the Housing Board on Pasir Ris 51 street.
The court heard that the defendant had disappeared on Monday after having breakfast with his father and his lawyer. The court hearing was scheduled for 10 am.
Around 9:10 a.m., he complained of an upset stomach and went to the bathroom.
He then could not be found and he did not respond to phone calls or text messages.
The High Court issued an arrest warrant the same day.
It has not been determined whether the $ 30,000 bond that his father paid him will be forfeited.
Police said Wednesday they are investigating the defendant for additional crimes.
Oh has been charged in court with harboring a criminal, which carries up to seven years in jail and a fine.
The accused appeared this Wednesday before the Superior Court to determine if he should be granted bail.
Assistant District Attorney Winston Man told the court Wednesday that the defendant was arrested at the Strand Hotel in Bencoolen.
The DPP asked the court not to grant bail, saying the defendant is a flight risk who had violated bail conditions by failing to appear in court earlier.
He added that the prosecution is considering at least one more charge of perverting the course of justice because the defendant had made plans to flee the jurisdiction.
The case was adjourned for a pre-trial conference and the defendant was placed on remand. His father was allowed to speak to him for 15 minutes.
The defendant allegedly committed the crimes when the girl became increasingly drunk while playing Truth Or Dare in the void with a group of friends.
When the group left the block, the girl had to piggyback as she was too drunk to walk properly.
At approximately 4 in the morning, the two defendants and the girl were separated from the others who had gone ahead.
While she was resting on the ground, the two men attempted to wake her up and, by not responding, allegedly raped her.
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