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Zam Zam owner and accomplice jailed over 2015 slashing attack on Victory Restaurant rival

SINGAPORE — Almost five years after successfully conspiring to slash the face of a rival, the owner of popular murtabak restaurant Zam Zam and his former longtime friend were sentenced to jail on Monday (May 11).

Zackeer Abbass Khan leaving the State Courts on March 6, 2020.

Zackeer Abbass Khan leaving the State Courts on March 6, 2020.

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SINGAPORE — Almost five years after successfully conspiring to slash the face of a rival, the owner of popular murtabak restaurant Zam Zam and his former longtime friend were sentenced to jail on Monday (May 11).

Zackeer Abbass Khan, 49, was given six years’ jail and six strokes of the cane for masterminding the attack.

His ex-friend and secret society member, 50-year-old Anwer Ambiya Kadir Maideen, was given five-and-a-half years’ jail. He was spared caning as those aged above 50 cannot be caned by law.

Both men were found guilty in March of conspiring to cause grievous hurt to Victory Restaurant supervisor Liakath Ali Mohamed Ibrahim. Zackeer was convicted of another charge of criminally intimidating Mr Liakath one week before the attack.

Anwer, who also worked as a safety officer, pleaded guilty on Monday to being a senior member of a secret society.

Zackeer’s lawyer Sabrinder Singh said that his client would be appealing against District Judge Mathew Joseph’s decision, while Anwer will begin serving his sentence on July 6. 

Anwer’s lawyer Peter Keith Fernando asked for a deferment as Anwer has to arrange for someone to take over running his Serangoon restaurant, which has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Both men remain out on bail in the meantime.

Before passing sentence, District Judge Joseph said that this case was a “salutary and sad reminder that one should not allow the red mist of bitterness and anger to cloud one’s better judgment”.

He told Zackeer that he “should have known better”, as he had been an “eminently successful businessman” and used “good judgment and business acumen” in running Zam Zam.

The judge had noted during the conviction that Zam Zam and Victory, located next to each other along North Bridge Road in Bugis, have been embroiled in an almost century-long rivalry.

Zackeer and Mr Liakath were business partners but fell out over a failed business venture, which ended with Zackeer being sued and “cheated” of S$80,000 in sales proceeds, the prosecution said.

Mr Liakath, who had worked at Zam Zam since 1985, left in 2014 to join Victory Restaurant. Zackeer then developed a grudge against his former friend.

Both restaurants persistently touted for patrons, resulting in rising tensions between management and staff members at both establishments, District Judge Joseph previously noted.

WHAT HAPPENED

On Aug 22, 2015, four days before the attack, Mr Liakath stood outside Victory to tout for customers. He told a police officer that he was doing this as Zam Zam's crew were doing it, too.

When a Zam Zam employee heard this, they began arguing. Zackeer arrived shortly afterwards and threatened Mr Liakath in Tamil: “You watch out, in one week, I will do you.”

Mr Liakath lodged a police report about the incident two days later.

Zackeer later contacted Anwer to give Mr Liakath “a slash on the face”. Anwer relayed the message to his fellow secret society member, Joshua Navindran Surainthiran, before showing him and his older brother Joel Girithiran Suraithiran a photograph of the victim.

Zackeer had given Anwer S$2,000 to slash Mr Liakath’s face. Anwer then passed S$1,700 from that sum to Joshua to carry out the attack on Aug 26, 2015.

It left Mr Liakath with a 5cm-long permanent scar on his right upper lip.

‘NO STANDARD FORMULA’ FOR HOW MASTERMIND WORKS

On Monday, Deputy Public Prosecutor Claire Poh revealed that Zackeer was jailed in 1998 for snatch theft and desertion.

Meanwhile, Anwer’s criminal record dates to 1993, when he was jailed and caned for rioting. He was also dealt with in 2004 for fighting in public.

He admitted to having been a secret society member since 1990. He was ranked as a “fighter” and was placed on record with the Registrar of Societies in 1996, and remained a member till his arrest in September 2015.

In mitigation, Mr Fernando — who asked for four years and two months’ jail — said that Anwer had been an inactive member of the gang for a “substantial period of time” and that he was “placed in a dilemma” when Zackeer approached him.

“He refused to get involved, but unfortunately, and with much regret, when Zackeer persisted in the attack on (Mr Liakath), it was only then that Anwer contacted Joshua to carry out the attack,” the lawyer added.

Mr Fernando also said that Anwer is the breadwinner of his family with a young adopted son. After he was last released from jail, he received his diploma in maritime studies.

Anwer personally addressed the court as well, saying that he “deeply regrets” the mistake he made. He added that Zackeer was using him as a pawn for his own business benefits and “made use of me as a shield to get his own malicious deeds done”.

Nevertheless, District Judge Joseph said that Anwer was “not a mere conduit” for Zackeer’s instructions. Zackeer was also financing Anwer’s restaurant business.

Meanwhile, Zackeer’s lawyer, Mr Singh, argued that this was not a gang-related offence and that his client was not the mastermind of the attack, as he had left most of the details to Anwer.

But District Judge Joseph said that there was “no standard formula for how a mastermind should work”. 

“It is quite clear that without Zackeer approaching Anwer, this whole transaction leading to attack would not have taken place,” the judge added.

Related topics

court crime Zam Zam

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