Opposition politician Lim Tean arrested for criminal breach of trust

[SINGAPORE] Lawyer Lim Tean was arrested in his office on Friday morning, police said in a statement.

Mr Lim, who is the leader of the Peoples Voice political party, was arrested for suspected criminal breach of trust under the Penal Code.

He is also being investigated for an alleged offence of unlawful stalking under the Protection from Harassment Act.

The police said that the arrest was not politically motivated, as alleged by Mr Lim through his lawyer earlier.

"The police reject his allegations that the investigations are politically motivated," they said in a statement on Friday. "Mr Lim Tean's alleged victims had filed police reports alleging serious offences by him against them, and the police have a duty to investigate the allegations."

A police report was lodged by Mr Lim's former client's lawyers for criminal breach of trust. The client, whom Mr Lim was representing in a motor injury suit, alleged that Mr Lim misappropriated a sum of money awarded to him as damages by the court.

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Mr Lim is also under investigation for an unlawful stalking complaint by a former employee. The employee alleged that she was harassed by him when she was working at his law firm, referring police to text messages that had been exchanged between her and Mr Lim.

The police said it contacted and issued Mr Lim with a written notice last Wednesday, instructing him to attend a compulsory interview at the Police Cantonment Complex on Monday to assist with investigations into the two offences. He was also told that he could reschedule the interview to another date if necessary.

However, Mr Lim replied through his lawyer on Sunday, the day before the interview, saying he had no intention to turn up for the session and alleging that the investigations were politically motivated, the police said.

"As Mr Lim Tean did not cooperate with the notice to attend an interview with the police, and had stated clearly that he had no intent to comply, the police had no choice but to arrest Mr Lim Tean in order to conduct the investigations," the police said, adding that this would not have been necessary if he complied with the police notice to come for an interview.

In a Facebook post earlier on Friday, lawyer M. Ravi said he had been instructed by Mr Lim to act as his defence lawyer, adding that Mr Lim's arrest was "unlawful" as the case in which he is accused of criminal breach of trust is before the civil court.

He said that three police officers from the Commercial Affairs Department barged into Mr Lim's office to arrest him, while he was preparing with financial adviser Leong Sze Hian for next week's defamation trial with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

The hearing is set to take place from next Tuesday to next Friday.

Mr Ravi also posted photos showing Mr Lim, clad in red, being handcuffed.

THE STRAITS TIMES