SINGAPORE — The Court has sent out a deterrent message on
Wednesday against would—be loan shark harassers and their
accomplices, handing out a stiff five—year jail sentence to a
22—year—old man who terrorised nine innocent victims over two weeks
last year.
He will also receive 10 strokes of the cane.
Besides smashing windows and splashing paint outside victims’
flats, Muhammad Harfiyan Ahjiman also used metal chains to lock the
gates of four victims.
His reign of terror began on 30 November 2009 at 2am at a Jurong
West block where he wrote threatening messages on the wall and used
a metal chain to lock a victim’s gate.
He went to another two blocks in the area and threatened two
other innocent victims by scribbling graffiti on the walls and
locking the units’ gates.
At 11pm that night, he harassed three seventh—floor units of a
Hougang block, smashed two windows with a hammer and defaced the
wall with a red marker.
His harassment then continued across the island in flats in Ang
Mo Kio, Ho Ching Road and Bukit Batok East. For each unit he
harassed, Muhammad Harfiyan was paid between S$40 and S$150 by
unlicensed moneylenders.
Listing seven aggravating factors, Assistant Public Prosecutor
Lim Yu Hui urged the court on Wednesday morning to impose a
deterrent custodial sentence on Muhammad Harfiyan.
In particular, the use of bicycle locks to lock the gates of the
four victims’ units was "callous and dangerous", Ms Lim argued.
"Such an irresponsible act would have obstructed the occupant’s
only avenue of escape and would prevent any attempts to rescue them
from their premises in the event of any emergency," she added.
The Prosecution argued these harassment acts also caused anguish
to the victims as all were innocent people who had never borrowed
from any loan sharks.
Muhammad Harfiyan admitted his "mistakes" and pleaded for
leniency. "I know what I had done is wrong and I hope to change,"
he added.
But District Judge Sarjit Singh agreed with the Prosecution that
there were aggravating factors in this case — Muhammad Harfiyan was
part of a syndicate which harassed innocent victims and committed
"very dangerous acts" of locking the victims’ flat gates.
Besides imposing a five—year jail term, Mr Sarjit also ordered
the 22—year—old to be caned 10 times.
Muhammad Harfiyan’s partner in the crimes, Muhammad Faizal Abdul
Razak, 21, was also sentenced to three years jail and eight strokes
of the cane for the offences.
Muhammad Faizal drove his partner to the various housing estates
and acted as a look—out for him. He was given S$100 for his
assistance.
Loansharking and harassment reports registered a 91—per—cent
spike last year, as compared to 2008.
Stiffer penalties were introduced in Parliament in January this
year to deter loan sharks and their runners.
On Tuesday, Police arrested 30 men and six women aged between 14
and 63 years in a 14—hour island—wide crackdown against
loansharking activities.
Simultaneous raids were carried out in Boon Lay, Jurong East,
Woodlands, Yishun, Ang Mo Kio, Geylang Bahru, Bedok, Tampines and
Changi by officers from the Ang Mo Kio Police Division and the
Specialised Crime Investigation Branch of CID. — CNA/vm