Fugitive of over 20 years charged for 1996 robbery, Latest Singapore News - The New Paper
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Fugitive of over 20 years charged for 1996 robbery

This article is more than 12 months old

A Singaporean man, who was arrested in Malaysia earlier this week after being on the run for more than 20 years in connection with an armed robbery, was charged in court yesterday.

Foo Siang Thian is accused of committing the offence on July 5, 1996, with two other men - Lee Ai Eng, then 48, and How Meng Yan, who was 43 at the time.

Both Lee and How have been dealt with by the court.

Foo, now 59, is alleged to have joined the two men in robbing then 43-year-old Ang Teck Nguang of $44,876.23 in cash at a carpark near Block 65, Yung Kuang Road, in Jurong, at around 11am. The men were armed with two knives.

In a statement on Wednesday, the police said Mr Ang was walking to his car after withdrawing the money from a nearby OCBC Bank branch when two knife-wielding men robbed him.

The pair then fled on a stolen motorcycle. Police later nabbed Lee and How but Foo evaded arrest and fled to Malaysia.

Lee was convicted on Oct 28, 1996, and sentenced to two years' jail with six strokes of the cane for robbery.

He was also sentenced to 14 months' jail and disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles for three years for stealing a vehicle.

How, who was convicted of armed robbery on Dec 27, 1996, was sentenced to three years' jail with two strokes of the cane.

Police said Foo was arrested on Monday with the help of the Royal Malaysia Police and brought back to Singapore the next day.

If convicted of armed robbery, offenders can be jailed for up to 10 years and given at least 12 strokes of the cane.

Foo cannot be caned as he is above 50 years old. - SHAFFIQ ALKHATIB

COURT & CRIME