Loan shark runner jailed, caned for splashing paint at pre-school

SINGAPORE — Hired to harass a debtor who had defaulted on his loan payment, a Thai national splashed red paint on the door, gate, walls and windows of a pre-school that the debtor’s children used to attend.

Samroeng Sompop also scattered notes on the floor; written on them were “O$P$” (short for “Owe money, pay money”) as well as the names and home address of the debtor and his family. Later that day, he took a taxi to Johor Baru, from which he then made his way back to Thailand. He was arrested after he tried to enter Singapore last month.

For causing annoyance to the pre-school’s employees, the 33-year-old was yesterday sentenced to 15 months’ jail and three strokes of the cane by a district court. Court documents showed that the debtor had defaulted on payments after taking a loan from an unlicensed moneylender known only as “Ah Siao” in August 2015.

During this time, the debtor’s two children were attending Modern Montessori International pre-school, located on the third level of a block at The Pinnacle @ Duxton along Cantonment Road.

After a series of acts of harassment which started from late September 2015, where unlicensed moneylenders splashed paint outside the debtor’s home and harangued him at his workplace, the debtor and his family moved out of their flat. His two children were also transferred to another childcare centre.

On Jan 13 last year, Sompop arrived in Singapore on an all-expenses-paid trip that was sponsored by a man named Max, and was later driven to the pre-school by 56-year-old Singaporean Lee Tiow Kiong, who acted as his accomplice.

Lee — who was instructed by an unlicensed moneylender called Kelvin — promised Sompop 20,000 baht (about S$800) in return for carrying out the act of harassment at the pre-school. After the job was done, Lee then drove Sompop to Queen Street, where the latter boarded a taxi to head to Malaysia.

The following morning, one of the teachers who arrived early to start the school’s operations found red paint splashed all over the premises.

The police managed to establish Sompop’s identity after Lee confessed to the crime.

On March 3 last year, Lee was arrested for a separate offence of harassment, and it was during the investigation that he also admitted to committing the act of harassment at the pre-school together with Sompop.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Amanda Sum said that Lee had been dealt with separately, although the details were not revealed in the court documents.

On Feb 16 this year, Sompop was finally apprehended when he tried to enter Singapore via Changi Airport. For his offence, he could have been jailed up to five years, fined S$50,000 and given six strokes of the cane under the Moneylenders Act.