Ex-ICA officer may get into bigger sh1t?

[Apollo]

July 1, 2008 Ex-ICA officer accuses his lawyer of incompetence By Khushwant Singh, Court Reporter

 

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority deputy superintendent Thong Sing Hock (above) had earlier this year admitted to nine charges of abetting and harbouring Ms Song Qinghua and accessing the ICA's computer systems for personal purposes. -- ST PHOTO: DOMINIC WONG

 

A SENIOR immigration officer who is appealing against a two-year jail term, has blamed his former lawyer for advising him to plead guilty to offences he claimed he did not commit.

 

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority deputy superintendent Thong Sing Hock, 50, the third-ranked officer at the Tuas Checkpoint, had earlier this year admitted to nine charges of abetting and harbouring Ms Song Qinghua, 38, and accessing the ICA's computer systems for personal purposes.

In appealing against the sentence, he told Judge of Appeal V.K. Rajah on Tuesday that he was not aware that she was travelling under a false identity.

 

Ms Song, who came here to work in 1997, was jailed for three weeks for overstaying in 2001 and deported after that. While back in China, she changed her name to Song Qi and got herself a new identity card and passport.

 

She met Thong in Beijing between late 2002 and early 2003, and kept in touch with him after his return here. The couple became intimate and visited each other often.

 

Thong said he only found out about her conviction and the false particulars in her passport after she was detained in February 2006.

 

He claimed that he had told his lawyer, Mr Chua Si Soon, about this but was advised to plead guity to the charges.

 

Thong, who hired the lawyer in February 2006, said: 'My lawyer said that this was the easiest way out of the mess that I am in.'

 

He further claimed that he had accessed the ICA computer records for Ms Song's particulars in 2004 because he had been asked to do so by a law enforcement agency.

 

While noting that the claim was 'wildly improbable', Justice Rajah said that it was still necessary to follow up and if Thong's assertation holds true, then the convictions could not stand.

 

But the High Court judge warned Thong that if the allegation proved false, the court would conclude that he had intentionally cast a grave slur on a senior lawyer.

 

'I would then seriously consider enhancing your sentence,' he told Thong.

 

Thong stood by what he said and in a rare move, Justice Rajah asked the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) to write to Mr Choo for his response and adjourned the hearing on Tuesday.

 

http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/...ory_253525.html

 

times 2?

[Nolicense]

2 possiblities.

 

1. the lawyer is dodgy. senior so what, no integrity.

2. the ex-ICA officer is lying.

 

its word against word. see how ICA want to play his reason to access the woman's records.

what to do, it has happened

[Maxus-MIFA9]

A senior officer with ICA would plead guilty just becasue his lawyer asked him and he is so obedient as that.....

 

I don't buy that.......

 

he is

[Mage]

interesting drama.. But I got a feeling its the guy that is lying la... Fooling around with cheena woman, Wonder if he's married...

[Apollo]

i dunno abt u, i only wondering WTF is mr choo?

 

Dr Fu ManChoo?

 

 

 

Edited July 1, 2008 by Apollo

[Drive_carcar]

Lawyers usually advice their clients to plea guilty because the chance of winning here, when charged in court is very very slim. So it is usually less costly to plea guilty, and accept whatever punishments that may be meted out.

 

Further, a not guilty plea will be taken into consideration, and when a guilty verdict is passed, which results in much more severe punishments. As it is read as lack of remorse. While a guilty plea at the earliest opportunity, together with full co-operation during the investigation, might sometimes help in mitigation.

 

A guilty plea is almost always a choice between the lesser of two evils.

Edited July 3, 2008 by Drive_carcar

[Ccssgm]

She really give him Song, Qing hua (Very Smooth)

 

活该

[Robin]

by appealing he is risking a even heavier sentence

[Watwheels]

This guy must be outta his mind.

 

A 2yr sentence is a light sentence for someone who abuses his authority. If found that he had done it in the first place for sexual favours in exchange, it's considered bribery.

 

I hope the judge will give him a x5 of his current sentence.

Edited July 4, 2008 by Watwheels

[Apollo]

he not appealing, he's accusing a Senior Counsel of misconduct and put the judiciary into limbo.

 

if true, the SC may lose license and even put behind bars, not those in St James then he also go bars.. LSB.

 

if false... better karchng wash clean clean..

 

[Robin]

A SENIOR immigration officer who is appealing against a two-year jail term, has blamed his former lawyer for advising him to plead guilty to offences he claimed he did not commit.

 

errr.... he is appealing. he is using the reason that his counsel mis-advised him to appeal

[Furrynadz]

kukujiao itchy

 

even china chicken wanna up and risk his career

[Rickster]

Yea, not worth it. Have such a cushy and well paying govt job and yet screw it all up for a cheena woman Go geylang more worth it

[Apollo]

yes.. but if he is not guilty, y plead guilty and not take a stance to prove the innocence.

 

surely the privy infor shared with his lawyer and those obtained fr the AGchamber must hv something damning enuff to advocate a lesser advantage to him

 

i think the point is that she has entered the country a few times, and he was aware of it.

 

but hor.. who cares. got show liaoz.

[Robin]

maybe more "juicy" details will surface... about ms song

[Gearoil]

Hello Apollo, you don't know the details so you can't say 'why he plead guilty!

 

Who knows, maybe there was a semi-deal from AG and this lawyer re-interpret or rather 'mis-intrepret' it in his own way to him!

 

I believe that if this guy 'can prove and convince' enough that there was a misccarriage in justice that some charges cannot stand...unlike his cxck can stand with the China mei mei ...then he cannot be convicted on those charges..but as you know AG might play punk can come back with amended charges on to him!

 

They only want to win!

[Apollo]

of cos i dunno.

 

but i doubt AGchamber wud play punk on him in tat context. it's not like honor among thieves. if there was prior agreement usually the Prosecutor wud hv stood up to back up the Defendent and agree amicably. any charges pressed are usually primed for max effect. look at the recent mother murder child case, add one more unrelated charge. same goes for the nsf who took out M16. agreement in any context wud hv the aggravated charges reduced.

 

anyway... i annie howe hoot one lah.

 

even a broken clock is also rite 3 times a day.

[Gearoil]

The hole ...opps..rather whole message the AG want to send out is...senior silver servants better don't 'play around' with China mei meis and get their 'world class' reputation tarnish in the way they operate...

 

So this farker get to be the example lah!