Arrest warrant issued for 22-year-old suspect in Orchard Towers murder for trial no-show

According to a report, 22-year-old Tan Hong Sheng has skipped his trial for no apparent reason and has been issued a warrant of arrest.

Tan Hong Sheng faces reduced charges in connection to the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act , which only meant he could get a maximum sentence of three years and six strokes of the cane.

He was supposed to attend his district court hearing on Thursday, August 29, but he had allegedly jumped bail. He was among the three suspects whose charges were reduced to consorting with a person carrying an offensive weapon in a public place, when they were formally charged with murder.

His legal counsel, Ms. Josephus Tan said that he is still the representative for Tan until he is arrested. Meanwhile, Tan’s mother was asked to present her son in two days and to attend a show cause hearing on OCtober 9 to provide an explanation for this absence. He was also not contactable as of publishing this article.

His bail amount of $15,000 will also come into question for forfeiture.

Who is Tan Hong Sheng?

Tan Hong Sheng is a figure in the murder case of Noel Satheesh Gobidass, who was found in a pool of blood on the morning of July 2 in Orchard Towers. A viral video had circulated in Singaporean internet communities of a group of people allegedly ganging up on the victim which lead to the latter’s demise in the shopping centre.

Seven people have been charged in connection with the murder, with Tan being one of the people who had gotten reduced sentences from murder.

Aside from Tan, two others who go by the names of Loo Boon Chong, 25, and Chan Jia Xing, 26, received reduced charges and were allowed to go free on bail. Their trial dates have been set as well.

The rest of the suspects, namely,  Natalie Siow Yu Zhen, 22, Joel Tan Yun Sheng, 26, Ang Da Yuan, 26, and Tan Sen Yang, remain in custody awaiting their trial date in September. These suspects where charged with murder, which carries the death penalty as one of its punishments.

What happened at the Orchard Towers Murder case?

A previous report showed that the video involving violence in the Orchard Towers Murder case full of disturbing footage of a man in a black shirt being beaten up by several people. The fight starts on the first floor of the building, then things escalate.

The man in the black shirt makes a run for it up the escalator but he’s pursued by the group of people, where they continue to beat him up. The video cuts to another scene, where the group of people inflicting pain on the victim are nowhere to be seen. The victim is scene to be staggering towards the entrance of the building, where he ultimately collapses.

A report from The Straits Times said that the victim suffered from a neck wound, and that bystanders had gone to help staunch the flow of blood. The victim was rushed to Tan Sock Teng Hospital, but he lost his life at 7:25 that same morning.

What do you think of the man who’s jumped bail even with a reduced charge? Let us know in the comments!