By Khushwant Singh
ESTRANGED from his wife, Tan Hwa Kok, 45, a former general
manager of Hotel Grand Central, wanted to start 'a long and lasting
relationship' with a woman who came to him for a job.
The 24-year-old from Sarawak, Malaysia, appeared to like him and
was quite prepared to have a relationship with him as long as she
could get a job and stay in Singapore, he told a district
court.
During the three-week-long trial which started in March, the
woman testified that Tan slipped Zolpidem, a powerful sleeping pill
that can be prescribed only by doctors, into her drink before
kissing and molesting her on Feb 5 last year.
On Wednesday, District Judge Ch'ng Lye Beng found Tan guilty of
drugging and molesting the woman.
The judge said she came across as a 'truthful witness', whose
testimony was collaborated by a friend.
The judge will hear mitigation on Nov 22 before passing
sentence.
Tan is also facing additional charges of abetting the illegal
employment of three foreigners and for forgery and corruption
offences.
If convicted of outrage of modesty, Tan, now a business
consultant, could be jailed for up to two years and fined or caned.
For causing the woman to take poison to facilitate an offence, he
could be jailed for up to 10 years and fined or caned.
