Ex-policeman accused of slapping woman's buttock has molestation charge compounded

Shaffiq Alkhatib
The Straits Times
Oct 2, 2023

A man who was accused of molestation after he allegedly slapped a woman’s buttock had his charge compounded, the terms of which were not mentioned in court.

Mr Paul Lim Choon Wui, a Cambridge master’s degree holder and former commander of Tanglin Police Division, also apologised over the incident on Monday.

Addressing the court, the 52-year-old said: “I’m sorry to the complainant for the distress caused.”

Under the law, only certain offences can be compounded, such as simple cases of causing hurt and outrage of modesty.

Compounding an offence requires an agreement with the victim to have the matter compensated, usually with a payment or an apology.

The public prosecutor will consider the public interest, circumstances of the offence and whether there are any aggravating factors, before agreeing to the terms.

Mr Lim, who was given a discharge amounting to an acquittal, which means he cannot be charged again with the same offence, had been accused of molesting the victim in 2022.

He is said to have used his left hand to slap a 25-year-old woman’s left buttock in a unit of a building in Bukit Merah at around 9pm on July 7 that year.

Mr Lim, who was the commander of Tanglin Police Division about 10 years ago, had left the police force by then.

The former policeman, who was represented by lawyer Adrian Wee from Lighthouse Law, declined to comment.

Mr Lim held various positions in the Singapore Police Force between 1990 and 2010 before joining security solutions provider Secura Group, where he was chief executive.

He left the firm in October 2017, citing the pursuit of personal interests as the reason.

Offenders convicted of molestation can be jailed for up to three years, fined or caned, or receive any combination of such punishments.