PV chief Lim Tean arrested for criminal breach of trust, stalking

Peoples Voice chief and lawyer Lim Tean was arrested at his office in People's Park Centre this morning (Oct 2) for an alleged offence of criminal breach of trust and an alleged offence of unlawful stalking, the police said in a press statement.

The alleged offences were in connection to two separate police reports lodged against Lim, they added.

Lim is being investigated for criminal breach of trust as a former client filed a police report alleging that Lim had misappropriated a sum of money awarded to him as damages by the court.

He is also being investigated for unlawful stalking after a former employee reported him to the police for allegedly harassing her while she was working at his law firm.

The police said they had "no choice but to arrest" Lim after he failed to attend a compulsory interview on Sept 28 at the Police Cantonment Complex to assist with investigations into the two alleged offences.

A written notice had been issued to Lim on Sept 23 to attend the interview but Lim replied via his lawyer on Sept 27 that he would not attend, further claiming that the investigations were politically motivated.

The arrest "would not have been necessary" if Lim had complied with the police notice, the police noted.

Lim is represented by lawyer M Ravi, the latter announced in a Facebook post shortly after the arrest.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/ravi.mravi.7/posts/10214338142327888[/embed]

Ravi wrote: "Lim Tean protested when they placed the handcuff on him that his arrest is politically motivated. I have been instructed by Lim Tean to act as his defence counsel."

Rebutting Lim's claims, the police said in their statement: "The police reject his allegations that the investigations are politically motivated.

"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."

Lim is also representing blogger Leong Sze Hian in a defamation suit filed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

The trial for Leong's defamation suit is fixed for Oct 6 to Oct 9.

kimberlylim@asiaone.com