Yesterday, I talked a bit about the Singapore dollar (SGD) and its proclivity to trade alongside the Chinese renminbi. (CNY) But longtime readers know that the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is the real decision maker here on how the currency will perform.

The MAS uses the S$ to assist them in fighting inflation the way a “real central bank” should. And with inflation in Singapore proving to be difficult to tame, I don’t see the MAS changing their policy drastically when they next meet. But with China’s economy moderating, I do expect the MAS to allow the S$ to continue to appreciate, but at a slower pace.

Did you see the story (I saw it on Bloomberg, but it is being reprinted all over the place) about what the Brazilian president, Dilma Rousseff, told the U.S. president? OK, sit down, because this is good stuff. She told the U.S. president that “monetary policies of the wealthiest nations are a drag on global economic growth, especially among rapidly growing emerging economies.” She later told Brazilian reporters that “developed nations’ reliance on interest rates close to zero to stimulate growth creates a monetary tsunami that damages Brazil.”

SINGAPORE - A 32-year-old Chinese national was found guilty on Wednesday and given the death sentence for the murder of a taxi driver two years ago.

In an attempted robbery, Wang Wenfeng had inflicted deep stab wounds on Mr Yuen Swee Hong during a struggle in the SMRT taxi, resulting in the victim bleeding to death.

According to earlier reports, the 58-year-old cabby had picked Wang outside Sun Plaza in Sembawang during the wee hours of April 11, 2009. Wang said he wanted to go to Bottle Tree Village.

While in the taxi, Wang held a fruit knife to Mr Yuen's chest and a struggle broke out.

Despite multiple versions from Wang about what happened during the tussle, Justice Lee Seiu Kin said in High Court today that there was no doubt of an intention to inflict injuries which were enough to cause death, The Straits Times reported.

Wang, an odd-job labourer, later dumped the body in a forested area near the end of Jalan Selimang in Sembawang.

The taxi was then driven to a multi-storey car park in Canberra Link and abandoned there.

Wang also took Mr Yuen's handphone, and when the cabby's wife called, he demanded $150,000 for her husband's safe return, although he was already dead.

Mr Yuen's decomposed body was found six days later. Wang was arrested at a travel agency in Chinatown on April 13, 2009, trying to collect a plane ticket to China.

During earlier hearings in March this year, Wang said that he had originally intended to rob a money changer, but gave up the idea as he saw a queue of taxis in front of the shop.

He later thought of a plan to rob a taxi, but being nervous and afraid, he did not flag down any cabs.

It was Mr Yuen instead who drove by and stopped to ask Wang where he wanted to go - a move which led to tragedy shortly.

adrianl@sph.com.sg

Lawyer suspended 15 months for offering kick-backs to undercover PI
By Carolyn Quek

WHEN lawyer Rayney Wong handed a referral fee to a private investigator posing as a property agent at a meeting four years ago, it was apparently not the first time he had done so.

Captured on video talking to who he thought was another property agent, Mr Wong claims he had offered kick-backs to property agents for referring clients to him before.

Senior Counsel Michael Hwang who was acting for the Law Society in its disciplinary case against Mr Wong before the Court of Three Judges on Tuesday, cited this as an aggravating factor and asked for a 15-month suspension to be imposed on him.

Mr Wong's lawyer, Senior Counsel Sant Singh, however argued that the Law Society had filed only one charge and did not proceed with the other allegations and it should not be considered now in sentencing,

The three judges - Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong, Justices of Appeal Andrew Phang and V.K. Rajah - eventually suspended Mr Wong for 15 months.

Mr Wong, a lawyer for 24 years, had earlier pleaded guilty to offering kick-backs to Ms Jenny Lee, a private investigator posing as a property agent.

She had been part of a group of investigators hired by several lawyers to check if competing law firms were offering fees to estate agents.

WHY become my enemy when you can be my friend?

And when I see you next time, I will take good care of you.

Such a 'make peace' offering may be effective in resolving a dispute.

But in this case, it landed the person who made the offer in more trouble, because he had tried to use it to bribe a traffic police officer into letting him off for a traffic offence.

Sergeant Pah Wenxiang was patrolling along Woodlands Road at about 5.30pm on 31Oct last year when he spotted a driver of a white car making an illegal U-turn and driving against traffic flow for 500m.

In doing so, the driver narrowly missed a collision with a motorcyclist before entering a petrol station.

The cop then tailed the driver and confronted him when the latter stopped at the petrol station.

The driver, Lim Teck Choon, a 56-year-old Malaysian businessman, told Sgt Pah he did not want to be caught in the traffic jam and wanted to return to Malaysia as soon as possible.

He even went on to suggest that it was common for vehicles to reverse and drive against the flow of traffic when there was a traffic jam.

His excuse cut no ice and Sgt Pah proceeded to inform Lim that he would be charged in court for dangerous driving and that he would be placed under arrest.

Tried to bargain

Lim tried to bargain with Sgt Pah by asking whether it was possible not to 'summon' him so 'heavily'.

Sgt Pah replied that he had no choice as Lim had committed a serious traffic offence. Lim acknowledged that he was at fault and that he could not deny this.

While waiting for the police car to arrive, Sgt Pah started a conversation with Lim, who said that he was a businessman with businesses in Singapore and Malaysia.

He added that he also owned plantations in Johor which were popular grounds for fishing and hunting.

Lim then told Sgt Pah: 'Why want to do this, be enemy. You should let me go. We can be friends. Next time you come to Malaysia, Iwill take care of you, still got benefits.'

On hearing that, Sgt Pah felt that the accused was offering a bribe, and he accordingly told the accused that it was an offence to do so.

The accused replied 'okay' and did not say anything else after that.

Still, the offer to bribe the cop landed Lim in hot water.

When his case came up before District Judge Jasvender Kaur, the judge noted that attempting to bribe a police officer is a serious offence.

But she took into account Lim's plea for leniency in this case.

First, after Lim's request of not being summoned so heavily was turned down, Lim did not persist.

Lim admitted he was wrong and that the traffic police officer was only doing his duty.

Judge Kaur said: 'I think it is reasonable to say that the accused would, in all probability, not have said what he said had Sgt Pah not started the casual conversation.'

Lim also pleaded with the judge, saying that he was a deputy chairman of Malaysian Chinese Association for the town of Kampong Jawa in Johor, and he has helped students and orphans in his constituency

As Lim had no previous records, he was spared the jail sentence and was fined $15,000 for the bribery offence.

He was fined $2,500 earlier and disqualified from driving for six months.

The prosecution has since filed an appeal against the sentence.

Under the law, those who commit bribery offences can be jailed up to five years or a fined up to $100,000, or both.

Last edited by metalslug; 24-11-2008 at 01:11 PM.

Supparayan S. Valoo, 49, had admitted to beating the red light when he caused the death of full-time national serviceman Huang Jun Jie, 20. -- PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE

A DRUNK prime mover driver who caused the death of a motorcyclist and injured the pillion rider was jailed for 20 months and banned from driving for 10 years on Tuesday on three charges.

Supparayan S. Valoo, 49, had admitted to beating the red light when he caused the death of full-time national serviceman Huang Jun Jie, 20, along Yishun Avenue 2 at the junction of Yishun Ring Road on Dec 21, 2008.

He also admitted to injuring Mr Huang's girlfriend, Ms Mizushima Emi, 21, by doing an act so rashly as to endanger life.

He had failed to conform to the traffic red light signal while making a right turn, thus encroaching into the path of Mr Huang and the pillion who were proceeding straight from the oncoming direction resulting in a head to side collision.

The third charge he pleaded guilty to stated that he was driving when the alcohol in his body was more than twice the legal limit.

He had 90 mcg alcohol per 100ml of breath when the legal limit is 35mcg.

Mr Huang died five days later.