Director of debt recovery firm jailed and fined for harassing 'debtor'
She shouted at him using derogatory terms and vulgarities while demanding he repay alleged $36,000 debt
In order to collect debts, the director of a debt recovery firm brought a group and a loud hailer to the victim's workplace and harassed him.
Yesterday, Jasmine Tan Su Ling, 28, was jailed eight weeks and fined $1,000 on two counts of abetment to cause harassment, being a member of an unlawful assembly and an unrelated charge of fighting in a public place.
In 2016, Vantage Debt Recovery was appointed to recover a purported debt of more than $36,000 from the victim.
Tan decided she would harass the purported debtor, a property agent, by confronting him at the show flat where he worked.
She got one of her employees, Ivan Chia Kian Boon, 27, to pose as a potential buyer and meet the victim there.
Deciding she needed more people as a show of force, she roped in the director of another debt recovery firm, Graceson Ang, 34, and others.
Tan and Chia entered the show flat at around 2pm while the other members, including Ang, waited outside.
Tan repeatedly shouted at the purported debtor using derogatory terms and vulgarities, while demanding he repay the debt he allegedly owed.
She also challenged him to hit her and threatened to tell the police he had molested her.
The others joined in and one of them used a loud hailer to shout at the property agent, who denied owing money.
The harassment lasted about 40 minutes and the group left before the police arrived.
During her sentencing yesterday, District Judge Mathew Joseph called this a remarkable case for the wrong reasons.
He said Tan's actions were despicable, likening her actions to that of loan shark runners.
He added Tan was brazen and totally determined to make an example out of the victim using unlawful means.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
