Police officer in Suntec City brawl case charged with negligence

ALL content used in this not-for-profit blog remain the property of their respective owners.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/officer-in-suntec-city-brawl-charged-with-negligence.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Second Minister for Home Affairs, and Trade and Industry S Iswaran said the Singapore Police Force (SPF) has completed its internal inquiry, and charged the investigation officer who handled the 2010 Suntec City brawl incident with neglect of duty.

A letter of warning has also been issued to his supervisor, S Iswaran informed the House during Tuesday's Parliament.

“I would also point out that the lapse was due to the error of an individual rather than to any systematic shortcomings,” S Iswaran said, answering Member of Parliament (MP) Tin Pei Ling’s question for an update on the police inquiry.

This is after two of the three expatriates -- options brokers New Zealander Robert Stephen Dahlberg and Briton Robert James Springall – absconded while on bail after they were charged with assault in July 2010. A third man, Australian business development manager Nathan Robert Miller, 35, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three weeks’ jail in February this year.

The trio were allegedly drunk when they attacked two taxi drivers and two taxi passengers and hijacked and crashed a taxi in April 2010, reported AsiaOne. Dahlberg allegedly caused hurt to businessman Laurence Wong Seong and shoved Paul Louis Liew Kai Ming against a pillar, who sustained a forehead gash and a broken nose. Miller had also allegedly punched cabby Tay Gek Heng in the face during the incident.

While Miller served time, his friends Dahlberg, 34, and Springall, 25, were allowed to leave Singapore after they were charged.

Dahlberg was out on bail for S$25,000 last July when he went on trips to London and Hong Kong and did not return. Springall, travelled back to the United Kingdom between August and September on a bail of $12,000. After returning from his trip, Springall failed to surrender his passport to the authorities and flew out of Singapore in December 2011 and absconded.

Both men jumped bail and warrants of arrest have been issued to the police’s overseas counterparts and the Interpol.

Iswaran also explained that when a person absconds, the bail is forfeited and the police will arrest the wanted person if he is still in Singapore. In the event that the accused person flees overseas, the police may issue an Interpol Red Notice.

Police forces in the Interpol member states will then help to locate and arrest the accused person and may extradite the person back to Singapore.