SINGAPORE — Suspended lawyer Ravi Madasamy has been allowed to leave Singapore for an overseas law conference at the end of November.   

The 54-year-old, who is also known as M Ravi, is currently serving a three-week jail sentence for contempt of court. He still faces six additional charges for voluntarily causing hurt, harassment and disorderly behaviour.

On Monday (Nov 20), Ravi's defence counsel made an application for him to leave the Republic to attend the conference in Cebu, Philippines from Nov 29 to Dec 5.

His application was previously heard on Nov 16 but was withdrawn and resubmitted with supporting evidence that the invitation extended to him was still current as he was serving his sentence.

Ravi was given 21 days' jail on Nov 8 for contempt of court over his conduct in court proceedings, where he insulted two judges and acted without his clients' instructions.

In September, Ravi was handed four fresh charges, including one for allegedly slapping a woman on her left cheek in a Hindu temple.

He faces one count of voluntarily causing hurt, one count for disorderly behaviour in public, and two counts under the Protection from Harassment Act.

He also faces one count of disorderly behaviour and one count of voluntarily causing hurt, which were handed to him in July.

REOFFENDING A 'CONCERN': PROSECUTION 

Objecting to the application, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Timotheus Koh said that the prosecution's concerns were not that Ravi was a flight risk but rather the concerns over Ravi's non-compliance of bail conditions.

DPP Koh referenced Ravi's July assessment at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) where he was found to have been suffering a manic relapse for his bipolar disorder, which should have put him on notice to follow-up for treatment but he did not do so.

"After his July assessment, he was granted to leave jurisdiction for four days and after his period of leave, we see a fresh set of charges preferred to him for his alleged offending in September," said DPP Koh.

IMH had assessed that Ravi's latest offences in September were also due to a manic relapse of his bipolar disorder, he added.

"Our concern is history may repeat itself and he has already shown through his conduct that after the assessment, he did not take his condition seriously and went on to offend," DPP Koh said.

Mr Eugene Thuraisingam, who represented Ravi, argued that travel does not make his client non-compliant as there was no link with Ravi travelling and having a relapse of his condition.

Mr Thuraisingam also claimed that it is now a bail condition for Ravi, whether in Singapore or otherwise, to be on medication or his bail would be revoked. 

Speaking via video-link, Ravi told the court that he has been compliant with his treatment for bipolar disorder and recently went for an appointment at IMH. 

"Being able to get work and earn an income is also important in his rehabilitation and be able for him to stay well. Mr Ravi will be extremely prejudiced if he cannot travel and make a living," said Mr Thuraisingam.

In granting Ravi's application to leave Singapore, District Judge Kow Keng Siong said that his bail amount would be set at S$15,000. Ravi would be required to furnish his complete itinerary to the investigative officer, along with full details of his residence and contact overseas.

The judge added that Ravi would also need to be contactable when he is overseas and he would need to surrender his passport within 24 hours upon his return to Singapore.

Ravi is set to return to court at a later date for a pre-trial conference for the six charges he is facing.