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By Shaffiq Alkhatib
The New Paper
Friday, Feb 17, 2012

The police will spare no effort in tracking down the two fugitives in the Suntec City brawl case.

They are looking at legal options to bring the two options brokers who absconded - Robert James Springall, 25, and Robert Stephen Dahlberg, 34 - back here to face the court.

Responding to queries from The New Paper, a police spokesman said: "Police would like to assure the public that the investigation into the Suntec City brawl case was thorough and complete.

"As each case differs in complexity, the time taken to investigate individual cases may vary based on the specific facts of the case and the available evidence...

"Warrants of arrest have been issued against Robert Stephen Dahlberg and Robert James Springall who absconded while on bail.

"We will work closely with Interpol to locate the two of them and bring them to justice."

The latest news comes as a relief to two of the victims in the case.

Dahlberg and Springall were charged over the incident, during which a taxi was hijacked and four people assaulted. The pair absconded separately while out on court bail.

Inquiry

The police spokesman added that the police are also conducting an inquiry into whether there was any mismanagement of the case.

The incident happened at 12.17am on April 11, 2010, but it took 10 months before the trio were charged. TNP first reported the case on May 11 last year.

The spokesman said: "In this case, the investigation findings were tendered to AGC (the Attorney General's Chambers) on 9 June 2011, and all three accused were charged in court on 7 July 2011.

"The court granted the defendants bail and permission to travel after considering representations made by all parties."

Springall, a Briton, had applied to the court on Aug11 last year for permission to go to the United Kingdom, saying that his grandfather had suffered a stroke.

His request was granted by the judge and his court bail of $6,000 was doubled. He was then allowed to leave Singapore from Aug 25 to Sept 5 last year.

Springall returned to Singapore on Sept 5 and was supposed to surrender his passport to the authorities, but he failed to do so.

On Dec 11 last year, he flew out of Singapore and absconded. His warrant of arrest was issued last month.

It is unclear who Springall was supposed to hand his passport to, and the police will be looking into this as part of the inquiry.

The police spokesman added: "We acknowledge that the case took a significant amount of time to be completed and are conducting an internal inquiry to establish the full facts of how the case was handled.

"If there have been any lapses, or any officers are found to have been professionally lacking or negligent in carrying out their duties, disciplinary action will be taken against them."

Collision

Springall faced one charge each of using a taxi without the owner's consent, voluntarily causing hurt to a cabby, Mr Tan Boon Kin, 57, and failing to keep a proper lookout while driving the vehicle, resulting in a collision with a signage pole.

In Dahlberg's case, he had been granted bail by the court to leave for London and Hong Kong from July 11 to 29 last year.

He was granted bail of $25,000, but he failed to return from the trip.

A warrant of arrest was issued on Sept 12 last year.

Dahlberg, a New Zealander, faces one charge each of causing hurt by an act which endangers life and voluntarily causing grievous hurt.

As warrants of arrest have already been issued against the two men, they will be arrested if they try to re-enter Singapore.

The duo's friend, Australian business development manager, Nathan Robert Miller, 35, pleaded guilty to his charges and was sentenced to three weeks' jail lastMonday.

He pleaded guilty to one charge of voluntarily causing hurt by punching cabby Tay Gek Heng, 45, in the face. One charge of disorderly behaviour was taken into consideration during sentencing.

All three men had attended a black-tie charity event known as the White Collar Boxing before the attack.

Although it is not known where Dahlberg and Springall are, Singapore has extradition treaties with Commonwealth countries, including New Zealand and Britain, where the two men are from.

The authorities here have to track down the men's whereabouts before the AGC can submit a request for extradition.

When a person is charged in court, he can be granted bail in most cases if the offence involved is not a capital offence.

The bail amount is fixed by the judge, depending on the severity of the offence and other factors, such as whether the person is a flight risk.

While out on bail, the accused can also apply to the court to travel overseas. But in such cases, the bail amount will usually be increased by the judge.

Lawyers TNP talked to said that not all accused parties will have their passports impounded. But passports belonging to foreigners usually are.

An accused person will also not face additional charges for absconding.

But the judge will see the matter as an aggravating factor if he or she is later caught and dealt with in court.

This article was first published in The New Paper.

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Expats who jump bail: We will bring them to justice

British expats are being implored to add their signatures to a petition calling for an end to the Government’s controversial frozen pensions policy

The appeal, which was lodged by campaign group the International Consortium of British Pensioners on the Government’s e-petitions website last year, will become eligible for discussion in the House of Commons if it reaches at least 100,000 signatures by September 8.

At the moment however, there are less than 15,000 signatures posted despite the fact that the policy affects over a half a million pensioners worldwide.

Under current regulations, expats in Europe (Chicago Options: ^REURUSD - news) , the US and a number of other countries receive the same annual cost-of-living increases as their UK counterparts, but those living in other countries (including most of the Commonwealth states) have their pensions frozen as soon as they start receiving them abroad.

Tony Bockman, chairman of the ICBP, said: “It's time to ask all overseas recipients of the British state pension to understand that if we are ever going to get the Government to pay attention to the frozen pensions issue, then everyone needs to get involved.

“That's not just the current 550,000 plus pensioners overseas whose pensions are already frozen, but all of you who are not yet of pensionable age but might qualify for a state pension later on.

“I know there is no guarantee that our case will be debated in the House of Commons when we reach 100,000 signatures, but there is every guarantee that it certainly will not be debated if we don't participate. So get involved and get all of your friends and relatives in the UK involved too.”

Expats who wish to sign the petition should visit http://bit.ly/BritPensions , and follow the instructions.

Visit Telegraph Retirement Services for expert advice on Maximising Retirement Income

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Appeal to expats to sign frozen pensions petition

Expats living in Australia need to keep a close eye on their UK debit and credit cards as retailers in the country increasingly move towards lowered security

Australia is among the most popular destinations for emigrating Brits, with over 100,000 moving Down Under between 2005 and 2010. While most living abroad open accounts in their new home, a 2010 study revealed that more than half those Brits that emigrated over five years ago retained a UK current account.

However, little-used cards that sit in a drawer forgotten could pose a big threat to those living Down Under. Last year, a payment system was introduced that removes the need for a pin or signature for transactions under AU$35 (£24). Companies involved so far include the country’s main supermarkets Coles and Woolworths (Xetra: 886853 - news) , McDonald’s and K-Mart. Unlike contactless payment systems, which only work with specially issued cards, the system works with existing cards, including those issued overseas, confirmed Mark Austin of Visa Europe .

“A UK card used at the participating merchants will work without a signature or PIN for transactions under AU$35. This is true whether the card is used via the chip or via the magstripe. It will work as long as the issuing bank approves this transaction; an issuer could choose to decline the transaction if they felt that it was too risky,” said Austin.

Consumer groups in Australia have raised concerns about these “time-saving” measures and the fact there is no way cardholders can opt out. Card issuers and retailers claim the low limit deters thieves, but fraudsters could still run up a big bill by making lots of small transactions.

However, the UK Cards Association confirmed that UK cardholders would not be liable if someone stole their card and used it in such a manner, so long as any unauthorised use was reported to the card issuer within 13 months as required by the Payment Services Regulations.

“If the retailer decided not to take a pin or a signature, the onus is on the bank to prove that the customer was negligent,” said a UK Cards Association spokesperson.

“In the case of fraudulent use, the cardholder is protected by the same liabilities and chargeback rights as in the UK,” added Austin.

Given that the Financial Ombudsman has said that dealing with complaints about disputed transactions forms a significant part of its workload, it seems banks can be difficult when it comes to unauthorised card use. Those living in Australia are advised to be extra vigilant about the whereabouts of all their cards and report any loss immediately.

Read more here:
Expats in Australia warned about card fraud

(Asia One) - India's top cop has spoken. He says his countrymen are the largest depositors in foreign banks. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director A.P. Singh said in Delhi on Feb 13 that Indians have illegally deposited an estimated US$500 billion (S$622 billion) in overseas tax havens such as Mauritius, Switzerland, Lichtenstein and the British Virgin Islands.

The Press Trust of India reported that he revealed this at the opening of the first Interpol global programme on anti-corruption and asset recovery in the Indian capital. This amount is more than twice India's external debt and close to 30 per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) of US$1.85 trillion last year.

In a November 2010 report, United States-based Global Financial Integrity said India had lost more than US$460 billion between 1948, a year after its independence, and 2008 because of companies and the rich illegally funnelling their wealth overseas.

India Today noted that Mr Singh took a swipe at some of the countries ranked at the top of the honesty chart by Transparency International Index and said 53 per cent of these "least corrupt" countries are favourite destinations for parking black money by individuals and firms.

"For the criminals, it only involves setting up a few shell companies and making layered transfers from one account to another within hours as there are no boundaries in banking transactions," he said.

DNA reported that the CBI director said the jurisdiction in criminal law is territorial and does not apply to other nations. "Criminals use such principles to their advantage by often spreading the crime over at least two jurisdictions and investing in a third," MrSingh said.

He said that differences in legal systems, high costs in coordinating investigations, inadequate international cooperation and bank secrecy have made the task difficult for the anti-corruption authorities.

"Tracing, freezing, confiscation, and then repatriation of stolen assets is a legal challenge.

Managing the asset recovery investigation is complex, time consuming, costly and, most importantly, requires expertise and political will," he added.

The CBI headquarters in Delhi is hosting the six-day event and 39 police officers, investigators and prosecutors from several Interpol member countries are participating. The programme is a first of its kind in which investigators learn ways to identify the assets created out of corrupt practices.

 

Read more:
Indians have $622 billion in tax havens

For once, some offshore savers are getting a better deal than savers onshore

The third anniversary of base rate at 0.5pc falls next month and will surely be marked by the Bank of England yet again leaving it at this low level.

It’s been a long hard three years for savers, particularly those offshore, and there’s no immediate sign of things changing. But there are some reasons for expat savers to be cheerful including how, for once, some are getting a better deal than onshore savers.

Most UK expats will have at least some of their financial affairs, such as their pension, based in their mother country And that means that like it or not, the inflation rate in the UK remains important. Last week there was a sizeable fall in inflation: which is good news for savers.

Anna Bowes, director of savings website http://www.savingschampion.co.uk , said: “It’s encouraging news for savers that inflation has dropped quite dramatically from 4.2pc to 3.6pc, especially for those who rely on their savings. However, it’s still clear that savers have a long way to go to recoup the losses in real terms, since interest rates hit an all-time low and inflation has been rising in recent years.”

She (SNP: ^SHEY - news) added: “The news does give savers a little light at the end of the tunnel, giving some the chance to make a small 'real’ return on some accounts, although it’s tougher for those in offshore accounts because the rates don’t seem to offer as much as in the UK.”

With inflation at 3.6pc, expats will need to opt for a fixed rate lasting for longer than a year to get a real return. And this might be a good idea anyway, given that a fall in inflation probably makes it even less likely that the Bank of England will increase base rate in the near future.

Indeed, Sir Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank of England, hinted that base rate will stay at 0.5pc until 2014 although some experts say it could remain at this level until 2017. Sir Mervyn said that he had “deep sympathy with those who… suddenly find that the returns on their savings have reached, as I said, negligible levels”.

But he said that were interest rates increased to 4pc or 5pc, it may give the impression that savings returns had increased but the overall effects would not be positive. “I think that many savers would find that the value of their wealth would fall more than enough to offset the apparently higher yield and everyone would be worse off,” he said.

However, here’s some good news for offshore savers: in some cases they are getting better deals than or identical rates to those available to onshore savers.

Take for example AIB International ’s 12 month fixed rate of 3.5pc. On the UK mainland, its sister bank Allied Irish Bank GB is paying 3.4pc. It was paying 3.5pc but the rate was cut on Valentine’s Day. This could of course mean that a rate cut is imminent offshore, but two other providers Clydesdale International and Permanent Bank International (formerly known as Irish Nationwide IOM) are also paying 3.5pc.

Clydesdale International’s one-year rate is higher than its onshore sister, Clydesdale Bank, is paying for UK residents the rate is 3.2pc. And Permanent Bank’s one year rate of 3.5pc beats the 3.25pc its owner Permanent TSB (KOSDAQ: 045340.KQ - news) is paying on €10,000 or more for residents in its Irish homeland.

Over two years, Clydesdale International’s 3.8pc is higher than than the 3.6pc Clydesdale Bank pays onshore and Alliance & Leicester’s 3.7pc can be matched onshore by its parent, Santander (Madrid: SAN.MC - news) .

For five years, the picture is more mixed. Lloyds TSB International ’s 4.5pc can’t be beaten onshore by any others in the Lloyds Banking Group (LSE: LLOY.L - news) of companies, with the best deal from the Lloyds family 4.25pc fixed for five years from the Halifax. Clydesdale International’s rate of 4.3pc can’t be beaten by the 4.25pc offered by Clydesdale Bank in the UK. Alliance & Leicester 's UK parent Santander doesn’t currently have a five-year fixed rate to compare its deal with.

While it’s good news that in some cases offshore savers are beating those onshore, it’s worth remembering that this could mean deals may be withdrawn. Fixed rate deals can be taken off the market and repriced at any time. Although this doesn’t tend to happen quite so fast offshore as it does onshore, you should be aware of this risk if you find a rate that’s particularly attractive. Others are likely to feel the same way: which means it could disappear without notice. Charlotte Beugge used tables compiled by Moneyfacts.co.uk in the writing of this article Moneyfacts.co.uk the comparison site you can’t afford to ignore

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Expat rates: reasons to be cheerful