A debt collector who caused a commotion at a food court in Funan DigitaLife Mall in 2015 ended up being sentenced to three months’ jail on Monday (May 15) for being a member of an unlawful assembly in that incident.
Reportedly, Tang Wei Leong, now 45, and his debt collector colleagues from Double Ace Associates, headed to the shopping centre’s Food Junction in the afternoon for a confrontation at the Soup Master stall. Apparently, the owner allegedly loaned $21,000 from food supply company Oregano Trading, and they were there to collect the debt.
They told the cashier they would interrupt the stall’s business if their demands were not met. According to Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Kenneth Kee, “The four of them then took turns to stand in front of the stall to chase away potential customers informing them that the stall was not in operation. They had also demanded that the victim call for her boss to come down to the stall to account for the alleged debt owed.”
The six men adamantly refused to leave the food court and demanded to be paid the cash in the tills. Even after the management staff stopped them from doing so and police officers arrived at the scene, the debt collectors still maintained their position, going so far as to challenge the officers.
Finally, the group said they would lunch at the food court, and the police officers gave them a final verbal reminder before leaving. Two stayed at the stall for an hour, while the rest began exhibiting violent behavior when 3pm came around with no sign of the debtor. One kicked a rice cooker and threw the cash register on the ground, while another tossed food items into a pot of soup.
The four remaining men fled the scene before the police arrived, but they had already caused $880 in damages and made no restitution. According to The Straits Times, besides Tang, three of the men have been dealt jail sentences of three to five months, while two cases are still pending.
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