Lim Tean’s bailor Leong Sze Hian forfeits S$45,000 after lawyer allegedly absconds to Malaysia
"I had no reason to believe that he was going to run away," said Mr Leong Sze Hian.
Singaporean blogger Leong Sze Hian has been compelled to surrender his entire S$45,000 (RM145,000) bail after lawyer Lim Tean fled to Malaysia to avoid a jail sentence. Appearing before the State Courts on Thursday, the 72-year-old blogger argued that he had fulfilled his obligations as a surety, maintaining constant contact with Lim in the weeks leading up to the lawyer's scheduled surrender.
Lim, 61, had been convicted in July 2024 for unauthorized legal practice and sentenced to three months and one week in jail after attending 32 court meetings without a valid certificate. However, he absconded from Singapore on August 3, prompting an arrest warrant. Lim was captured by Malaysian authorities on August 6 and extradited to Singapore on August 11.
Despite Leong's efforts, District Judge Chay Yuen Fatt ruled that the full bail amount must be forfeited, citing Leong's failure to meet daily contact requirements and verify Lim's whereabouts on the scheduled surrender date.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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