*illustrated photo above
A pub in Orchard Road was a front for a vice operation, and even offered oral sex on its premises, a district court heard yesterday.
For their involvement, floor manager Ng Kian Boon, 26, and bar manager Ridzawi Ali, 31, were fined $22,000 each.
According to a report in The Straits Times, they had pleaded guilty to four charges of abetting pub owner Ang Boon Kwee, 42, to receive the earnings of prostitution and to one charge of assisting him to manage a brothel.
Ang and three other employees have also been charged but not dealt with yet.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Joshua Lai said two police officers in plain clothes went to the now-defunct Famous Hot Models pub on the third floor of Orchard Towers at 1am on May 25 last year after a tip-off.
Pretending to be customers, they were joined by three Filipino hostesses, who told them that oral sex was available in the pub’s three karaoke rooms at a cost of $182.
If a customer wanted to have sex, he would have to pay the pub $268 for two hours of the woman’s company.
Other police officers then moved in and arrested 26 Filipino women, aged 19 to 31, and also six Singaporeans between the ages of 18 and 42, who were managing the pub.
Investigations revealed that Ang hired the women as hostesses although they were on social visit passes and not allowed to work in Singapore.
Each Filipina was to have paid Ang between $1,300 and $3,200 within two months. He would then get her a work permit as a performing artiste for an additional payment of $1,300. Upon expiry of the permit, $1,000 would be returned to her.
The hostess’ job scope included encouraging customers to buy her “lady” drinks. Prices ranged from $30 to $120 for each drink – for every $10, she would earn $3. The women were also urged to provide sexual services to earn more money – keeping half of what they were paid.
As the floor manager, Ng would ensure security in the pub while Ridzawi’s job was to open and close the outlet each day and manage the place. Both men, who knew about the sexual activities, also kept an eye out for the police.
Source: The Straits Times