SINGAPORE: An illegal moneylender who fatally stabbed a debtor in 1990 before fleeing to Malaysia was sentenced to six years’ jail on Tuesday (Dec 30), more than three decades after his offence.
Ng Kwang Keng, 80, earlier pleaded guilty to a downgraded charge of voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a weapon to Mr Lim Kim Leng, 27.
His sentencing was then adjourned for the prosecution to clarify Ng’s medical conditions and for more information on his remand in Malaysia.
Prosecutors earlier sought six-and-a-half to eight years’ jail, with another six months in lieu of 12 strokes of the cane. The law here does not allow anyone above the age of 50 to be caned.
The defence, represented by lawyers Prakash Otharam from Ashvin Law Corporation and Rohit Kumar Singh from Regal Law, asked for no more than five years’ jail.
For voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a weapon likely to cause death, Ng could have been imprisoned for life or jailed for up to 10 years, and fined.
STABBED VICTIM WHEN COLLECTING DEBT
Mr Lim, the debtor, owed Ng, then 45, about S$22,000 (around US$12,000 at the time).
On Nov 6, 1990, Ng went to Mr Lim’s housing block to collect the debt. After an argument at the void deck of the block, a fight broke out and Ng then stabbed Mr Lim in the upper thigh with a knife.
