UPDATED (7:30pm April 20 to add details on Edward Whistler Goh)
Another man who has been charged in the ongoing vice ring involving an underaged callgirl has been allowed to leave Singapore to attend to his business.
Businessman Edward Whistler Goh Ngian Meng has been given permission to go to Shanghai, China between 21 and 24 April, and to Kota Kinabalu, East Malaysia between 4 and 6 May, reported The Straits Times.
The 49-year-old is the founder and CEO of Edward Whistler International Group, a business growth and management training firm. Goh is the second person from the 48 men charged who has been allowed to leave Singapore.
On Thursday, Indonesian businessman Reyner Desvando, 28, was also granted permission by the court to travel to Indonesia for his wedding next week and from 16 May to 6 June.
The duo are among 48 men who have so far been charged in court for allegedly having commercial sex with an underaged girl.
Public servants, a former school principal and a businessman were among the 44 men charged in court on Monday for allegedly having commercial sex with an underage girl.
Lee Lip Hong, 39, the former principal of Pei Chun Public School, admitted to two charges of having paid $500 on each of two occasions for sex with the girl under 18 at Hotel 81 Bencoolen on Sept 26 and Dec 24, 2010, reported the same paper.
Also charged for allegedly paying $500 for sex with the underage girl on each of four occasion is 45-year-old businessman Foo Kim Meng, said ST.
Chia Kok Peng, 38, former senior legal counsel of the National Environmental Agency, and nine public servants are also among those charged.
The website offering the girl's services was allegedly run by entrepreneur Tang Boon Thiew.
In February, up to 80 people were involved in a major police probe into an online prostitution ring, including an ex-principal and top civil servants.
Last year, there were at least two cases where men were arrested for having sex with a minor. In October 2011, a 22-year-old National Serviceman was charged in court with having sex with an underage student over a period of one year.
In addition, a 40-year-old man and his 17-year-old neighbour were charged with having sex with an underaged girl in a lorry after she got drunk last year.
COMMENT The concept of sub judice contempt for ongoing court cases is an important one; it is in place to ensure that proceedings can be as objective as possible, rather than swayed by the court of public opinion. Yet in … Continue reading →