... kind of reminds me of NKF...
... justice? 
4 more ex-inmates seek claim for extra
strokes
Fri, Jan 25, 2008
The Straits Times
THE case of the prisoner who received three more strokes than he
should has prompted four other ex-inmates to pursue similar
claims.
They have approached lawyer Joseph Chen to take up their case
against the Government and seek compensation amounting to several
million dollars.
Mr Chen is acting for Mr Dickson Tan, who was caned eight times,
three more than what his sentence for loan-sharking called
for.
Unlike Mr Tan's case, which happened last year, the punishments
meted out to all four men happened more than 20 years ago.
Mr Chia Teck Kiam and Mr Kwek Hak Seng approached Mr Chen last
month to represent them.
They also referred him to a third man, Mr Lin Cheng Yu, now serving
time in a Thai prison for drug offences.
Mr Lim asked Mr Chen to act for him as well. All three men were
members of a gang who were convicted of robbery in 1987.
Mr Chia claimed he was caned 48 times in all, twice the legal
maximum of 24 lashes that can be imposed on an adult in any one
trial.
The other two claimed to have been caned 12 times more than the
legal limit. Each of them are seeking at least $12 million.
The fourth man, Mr Heng Kee Chiang, was convicted in Feb 1985 of
theft with a weapon. He too claimed to have been given 12 strokes
in excess of 24. He wants $12 million as well.
Mr Chen and the Attorney-General's Chambers have been exchanging
letters on the matter, with the authorities asking for facts and
particulars of the cases.
In a letter dated Jan 11, the AGC made it clear that it could not
consider claims without being furnished with relevant
information.
Lawyers say Mr Chen would be hard pressed to pursue the claims
through the courts, given the three-year time bar for personal
injury suits.
Mr Chen acknowledged this, but added that the claims touch on
fundamental points of the law which should be redressed. He said
the three men who robbed a bank had a fourth accomplice, Mr Qwek
Kee Chong, who was convicted along with them.
In Nov 1987, he was sentenced to 12 strokes of the cane on each of
four charges, totalling 48 lashes in all.
In 1991, he sued the Government and an out of court settlement was
reached. Contacted on Friday, his then lawyer, Mr Peter Fernando,
said he was only briefed by Mr Qwek at that time - and did not know
of the other three.
Mr Chen, a lawyer who re-started practice last year after a gap of
six years, said his clients were not literate enough to keep pace
of news in the media - until the Dickson Tan case came up.
Mr Tan is taking his case to the court after talks on compensation
broke down.
