Man jailed after using another's identity to enter MBS casino despite exclusion orders; ruse uncovered by ex-schoolmate
Ng Guan Hao, 34, had also cheated a man of over S$17,000, and harassed another over a traffic dispute in 2021
SINGAPORE — A 34-year-old man has been sentenced to 11 months and four weeks in jail on Thursday (4 April) after being caught using another person's identity to enter the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) casino.
The Straits Times reported that Ng Guan Hao had his cover blown when a former schoolmate, employed at the casino, spotted him at a gambling table in the Ruby VIP room in May 2021. Upon checking Ng's name in the casino's system, the employee discovered that he had multiple exclusion orders prohibiting him from entering the casino.
The employee alerted the police, and investigations later revealed that Ng had unlawfully entered the MBS casino using Melvin Tan Yong Ann's identity on over 22 occasions between 17 March and 2 May 2021.
According to court documents, Ng had not learnt his lesson and tried again to enter the casino in February 2022, posing as Yeo De Rong - only to be recognised by the same former schoolmate.
Ng pleaded guilty to two charges under the Casino Control Act and also admitted to one count each of harassment and cheating. Court documents did not disclose if Tan and Yeo had been charged in court.
How did Ng continuously evade casino exclusion orders?
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Claire Poh told the court that despite Ng's exclusion order being in force from 21 March 2018 to 20 March 2023, he still sought to enter the MBS casino.
Ng had approached Tan for his identity card and promised to pay him S$200 each time he entered the casino. Tan agreed to the arrangement, and Ng repeatedly entered the casino until his former schoolmate caught him on 2 May 2021.
He later reoffended by using Yeo De Rong's identity card to enter the premises. DPP Poh said that Ng agreed to share half of his winnings with Yeo if he won, and Ng would bear his own losses if he lost. Yeo also received S$700 from Ng for the use of his identity card.
Ng used Yeo's card to enter the MBS five times between 6 and 9 February 2022, but was finally caught on 10 February 2022.
Further cases of cheating and harassment
In an unrelated case, Ng also cheated a man of over $17,000 in March 2021. He lied to the victim that he had a friend who purportedly traded in foreign currencies and could yield a 100-per-cent profit return.
Ng then told the victim to transfer cash to a bank account, claiming that the monies would be used for trading and promising profits. Instead, he squandered the monies on gambling and made no restitution.
In another separate incident on 20 November 2021, Ng was involved in a confrontation with a 25-year-old man, after the younger man felt Ng's vehicle was tailing too closely behind his along Tampines Avenue 2.
The man flashed an obscene hand gesture at Ng, who pursued the man's vehicle around the neighbourhood in anger, and even threw a water bottle at the car. When they were in Tampines Avenue 9, Ng blocked the younger man's vehicle, got out with a pair of scissors and challenged him to a fight.
According to the DPP, Ng scolded the victim with Hokkien vulgarities and made an obscene hand gesture at the victim. The victim felt harassed by the accused's behaviour, and his girlfriend called for the police. The court heard that she also filmed part of Ng's tirade on her mobile phone.
Ng will start serving his jail term on 2 May, with his bail set at S$15,000 as of 4 April.
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