Former owner of Zam Zam granted bail over new charges, ordered to stay away from restaurant and rival

• Zackeer Abbass Khan faces two charges of threatening an employee from neighbouring Victory Restaurant
• Separately, he was sentenced earlier this year for conspiring to slash another employee’s face in 2015
• He was out on bail pending an appeal in the High Court against his conviction and sentence for the slashing incident
• A district judge granted him bail this time with strict conditions

SINGAPORE — The former boss of popular murtabak restaurant Zam Zam, who was charged last week with threatening an employee of rival Victory Restaurant and swerving his car towards him, was on Tuesday (Nov 3) granted bail till his High Court appeal for a slashing incident in 2015 is heard on Nov 9. 

After he was charged last week, Zackeer was not offered bail.

As part of the bail conditions, District Judge Terence Tay ordered Zackeer Abbass Khan, 50, not to go within 1km of the restaurants, which sit side-by-side on North Bridge Road, under any circumstances.

He must also abide by a curfew of 6pm to 6am, be electronically tagged and not commit more offences.

In granting Zackeer S$30,000 bail, the judge said that the quantum was to “drive home the message that this is a very serious matter”. 

“If he breaches the conditions again, the court will not hesitate to revoke it,” he added.

TUESDAY’S PROCEEDINGS

On Tuesday, his Zackeer’s new lawyers — Ms Lolita Andrew and Mr Richard Ling — told the court that their client intends to claim trial to these two new charges.

Court documents stated that on the evening of Oct 24, he allegedly threatened Mr Amir Norman Halim in Malay and purportedly told him that he was not afraid to kill him “because I am already going in (to jail)”.

Zackeer also allegedly swerved a car towards Mr Amir before braking.

Ms Andrew said that Zackeer had not breached his bail conditions for five years before this. 

He was charged in 2015 for his previous offences, then convicted after a trial and sentenced to six years’ jail and six strokes of the cane earlier this year.

However, he has passed the age of 50 and cannot be caned any longer under the law.

Ms Andrew explained that the recent incident happened on Oct 24, when Zackeer was about to pick up one of his sons who still works at the restaurant. 

His other four children were in the car.

“Unfortunately, the alleged victim came on the roadside and he had to jam his brakes… then he went on to tell him, why have you done this?” Ms Andrew said.

Mr Ling added that Mr Amir had previously worked for Zackeer before returning to his home country after getting a salary advance. 

He then returned to work for Victory Restaurant.

The two restaurants have been embroiled in an almost century-long rivalry with both restaurants persistently touting for patrons, resulting in rising tensions between management and staff members at both establishments.

“It’s not that he went and approached this employee and made some threat to him. This person suddenly appeared while he was driving so he had to stop his car abruptly,” Mr Ling said.

Ms Andrew added that Zackeer was a single father who had sole custody and care of his five children since 2012 till remarrying in 2018.

It was “very unfortunate” that he was arrested as he had to give instructions to his employees in the days leading up to his appeal. 

He currently runs a “medium-sized business with up to 80 employees”, she said without elaborating what this business is.

If convicted of criminal intimidation, Zackeer could be jailed up to two years or fined, or both.

Committing a rash act endangering personal safety carries a maximum six-month jail term or a fine of up to S$2,500, or both.