Clarification by Minister for Home Affairs

Minister Shanmugam, I believe you have a clarification.

Thank you, Mr Speaker, Sir. With your leave, may I correct a factual error in my response to Mr Murali Pillai’s question yesterday on persons convicted under section 409 of the Penal Code?

I had earlier informed Members that 12 persons are currently serving sentences for offences under section 409 of the Penal Code. [Please refer to "Limiting Use of Section 409 of Penal Code to Professional Agents", Official Report, 19 March 2018, Vol 94, Issue No 69, Oral Answers to Questions section.]

That is an error. There are, in fact, 15 persons currently serving sentences for section 409 offences.

Of these 15 persons, three were convicted in their capacity as directors. The remaining 12 comprise eight who were professional agents of one sort or another – insurance agents and so on – one attorney and three public servants.

The 12, as I explained yesterday, are not affected by the ruling on directors.

As regards the three directors, all three had pleaded guilty under section 409. They were convicted and sentenced before the High Court changed the interpretation of the law regarding section 409 of the Penal Code.

The three are now on Community-based Programmes, including Home Detention, and are scheduled for release in a few weeks, somewhere between May and June of this year.

The Public Prosecutor does not intend to file any applications in respect of these three persons. Thank you, Sir.

Order. End of Question Time. Introduction of Government Bill. Minister for Social and Family Development.