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Alleged loanshark harasser who set fire to door brought back to scene of crime

Lee Ti Fong allegedly set fire to the main door of a HDB unit in an act of loanshark harassment. PHOTO: Hannah Teoh/Yahoo News Singapore
Lee Ti Fong allegedly set fire to the main door of a HDB unit in an act of loanshark harassment. PHOTO: Hannah Teoh/Yahoo News Singapore

A man who allegedly set the door of a HDB unit on fire in an act of loanshark harassment was brought back to the scene of the crime at Sengkang West on Friday afternoon (25 May).

Lee Ti Fong, 26, was arrested earlier this week for his suspected involvement in a case of loanshark harassment.

Lee arrived at the scene in a red polo T-shirt and in arm and leg restraints. He was accompanied by police and escorted to a flat at Block 269C Sengkang West Way. Lee kept his head bowed as he answered the officers’ questions.

Burn marks could still be seen on the door of the said unit. The owner of the unit had also installed a CCTV camera on the gate.

Burn marks can be seen on the door of a HDB unit targeted by a loanshark harasser. Photo: Hannah Teoh/Yahoo News Singapore
Burn marks can be seen on the door of a HDB unit targeted by a loanshark harasser. Photo: Hannah Teoh/Yahoo News Singapore

Lee was arrested on 22 May and charged in court on 24 May for loanshark harassment. He also faces a charge of unlawful possession of scheduled weapons including flick knives, knuckle dusters, a parang, a stun-device and an extendable baton.

Yahoo News Singapore understands that Lee, a Singaporean, is unemployed.

According to annual statistics from the Singapore Police Force in 2017, unlicensed money-lending harassment cases with damage to property have decreased since 2012.

However, the total number of unlicensed moneylending-related harassment cases in 2017 increased 12.3 per cent from 2016 due to a rise in the number of cases involving harassment by electronic means, such as harassing individuals by repeatedly sending SMS messages.

“The police have zero tolerance against loanshark harassment activities involving fire. Those who commit such acts of harassment, causing damage and endangering lives of innocent victims will be arrested and dealt with severely in accordance with the law,” said the Singapore Police Force in a statement on 23 May.

If convicted for possessing scheduled weapons, Lee faces a jail term of up to five years, with at least six strokes of the cane.

First-time offenders found guilty of loanshark harassment face a fine of between $5,000 and $50,000, a jail term of up to five years and up to six strokes of the cane.

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