Kovan double murder victims suffered multiple stabbings on neck, chest and face
The Kovan double murder victims Tan Boon Sin, 67, and his son Tan Chee Heong, 42, suffered from 20 and 11 stab wounds, respectively, a court heard on the first day of trial on Tuesday (Oct 20).
Presenting the prosecution’s case in an opening statement, Deputy Public Prosecutor Lau Wing Yum revealed the details of the alleged attack by murder suspect Iskandar Rahmat, which took place at 14J Hillside Drive on 10 July 2013.
Lau said “there were 12 stab wounds to Tan Boon Sin’s neck and chest and at least nine incised wounds to his face, neck and hands.” He added “there were seven stab wounds to Tan Chee Heong’s face and neck, and at least eight incised wounds to his scalp, face and right forearm.”
The multiple wounds were inflicted by the accused, now 36, “with the intention of causing their deaths”.
Both victims died of “acute haemorrhage”, based on autopsies conducted by Senior Consultant Forensic Pathologist Professor Gilbert Lau.
Looking calm and reserved in the courtroom, Iskandar wore a plain white t-shirt, a light beige jacket and a pair of black-framed spectacles. He appeared pale and slimmer than the day he was charged more than two years ago.
The former policeman faces two murder counts under Section 300(a) of the Penal Code, which carries the mandatory death penalty.
Lau said Iskandar left the scene by driving a silver Toyota Camry belonging to the older victim, and in the process, dragged along the younger victim to Kovan MRT station, which was about 1 kilometer away.
He also revealed the events leading up to the deaths.
The elder Tan, who was a car workshop owner, lodged two police reports in November 2012 relating to the theft of valuables from his safe deposit box at Certis CISCO. The theft case was initially assigned to Iskandar, who was then an investigation officer.
The DPP told the court that at the time, Iskandar was facing financial difficulties, owing more than $60,000 to Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC). The bank filed a bankruptcy application against him in October 2012.
“The Accused believed that the sum of money in Tan Boon Sin’s safe deposit box was sufficient for him to repay OCBC. He therefore devised a plan to rob Tan Boon Sin,” Lau said.
How Iskandar executed his plan
According to the prosecution, Iskandar was planning to rob the elder Tan on 10 July, which was the last day for him to pay back his debt to OCBC. Lau retraced the steps that Iskandar took.
- Iskandar impersonated an officer from the Police Intelligence Division and warned Tan that his safe deposit box at Certis CISCO was going to be broken into
- He retrieved a dummy CCTV camera from his home, enclosed it in a box and told Tan to put it within his safe deposit box before 3pm that same day
-He told Tan to remove his valuables from the safe deposit box so he can have access to them
-He brought with him a security pass, a warrant card and a mock walkie-talkie
-He wore the same uniform as when he was an investigation officer
-He rented a car to appear more professional instead of riding on his scooter
-He escorted Tan, who had taken the valuables from the safe deposit box, to his house
A bag of valuables, consisting of old notes worth more than $200,000, was left behind in the house on the day of the said attack, the court was told.
The investigation officer of the murder case, Deputy Superintendent Daniel Wong, said the bag was only found eight days after the incident at the storage area under the staircase of the house.
Iskandar’s financial problems
Iskandar began to face financial problems after divorcing his wife in early 2005. He was unable to pay the loans for his flat and car, and was forced to have them sold by OCBC. Despite that, he still owed $60,000 to the bank as of June 2012.
A bank employee in charge of unsecured debt facilities contacted Iskandar on 3 July 2013 to settle the matter out-of-court for $50,000.
During the same period, Iskandar’s superiors discovered his financial troubles, and he had to attend disciplinary proceedings. He informed them that he would be getting help from a “cousin”, and investigations revealed the said “cousin” did not exist. At the time of the murder, Iskandar only had less than $400 in his bank account at the time.
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