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SINGAPORE \u2013 A former loan shark who was on the run from the authorities for 33 years was convicted on Nov 11 for fatally stabbing a debtor in 1990. <\/p>\n
Ng Kwang Keng, now 80, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means. He was previously charged with murder. Court documents did not state why his charge was reduced. <\/p>\n
The Singaporean was charged and detained in Johor Bahru for an immigration offence, and deported to Singapore in December 2023. <\/p>\n
The victim, Mr Lim Kim Leng, a 27-year-old Singaporean, had owed Ng $22,000. <\/p>\n
On Nov 6, 1990, Ng drove to Mr Lim\u2019s residence at Block 14 Taman Ho Swee with two other men, identified as \u201cTan\u201d and \u201cPui Kia\u201d in court documents. <\/p>\n
Shortly after they met, Mr Lim and Ng started arguing and fought with each other. Tan got out of the car to try to stop the fight. <\/p>\n
During the altercation, Ng punched Mr Lim in the face. Mr Lim then chased Ng up a flight of stairs, with Tan and Pui Kia following behind. <\/p>\n
At that time, Ng was holding a knife in his right hand and Pui Kia shouted at him to put it away. But Ng lunged forward and stabbed Mr Lim in his upper thigh. <\/p>\n
Ng later escaped with the knife, and drove off with Tan and Pui Kia. The knife was never recovered. <\/p>\n
Mr Lim, who was bleeding profusely from the stab wounds, was taken to Alexandra Hospital. <\/p>\n
A medical report from the hospital showed that the stab wound on his thigh had cut his right anterior tibial artery and deep peroneal nerve. He developed renal failure and other complications as a result of the stab wound and died on Dec 8, 1990. <\/p>\n
Years later, Ng was charged and detained in Johor Bahru for an immigration offence. <\/p>\n
When he said he was a Singaporean, the Malaysian authorities requested on April 21, 2022, that he be deported back to Singapore. <\/p>\n
He was deported back to Singapore on Dec 21, 2023, and arrested by the police. <\/p>\n
He was charged with murder the next day, and has been in remand since. <\/p>\n
The prosecution asked for a jail sentence of 6\u00bd years to eight years for Ng, with an additional six months in lieu of 12 strokes of the cane, because Ng cannot be caned as he is above 50. <\/p>\n
Deputy public prosecutors Terence Chua and Emily Koh said Ng had fled the scene and absconded for 33 years after his offence, which was a \u201cclear demonstration of an intention to avoid detection and arrest\u201d. <\/p>\n
Ng will be sentenced on Dec 30. <\/p>\n
For voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means, an offender can be given life imprisonment or be jailed for up to 10 years, and be liable to a fine or caning. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n