Kovan murders trial: Accused denied killing victims to silence them

SINGAPORE - Former police officer Iskandar Rahmat, who is on trial for the murder of car workshop owner Tan Boon Sin, 67, and his son Tan Chee Heong, 42, denied on Monday (Nov 9) that he had killed the two men to silence them.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Lau Wing Yum, who cross-examined the 36-year-old, said the elder Mr Tan would have called the police immediately had Iskandar's plan to rob him in his home been successful.

And as an experienced investigator, added DPP Lau, Iskandar would have known that investigations would lead to him being a key suspect after the crime.

Iskandar, who gave his testimony on Oct 30, is accused of stabbing and slashing both men in their Hillside Drive terrace house on July 10, 2013, while attempting to carry out the robbery.

The prosecution also zeroed in on the dummy CCTV camera that Iskandar used to trick Mr Tan into opening his safe desposit box.

It was shown in court to have no battery cover or batteries, with the prosecution suggesting that Mr Tan had noticed that while attempting to fit it into his desposit box.

The last six days of the trial had seen 17 prosecution witnesses - including the victims' family members - take the stand.

Details had emerged about how Iskandar, then a senior staff sergeant in the Singapore Police Force, faced a debt of nearly $90,000 in housing, car and renovation loans after a failed marriage.

Fearful of losing his job because of his imminent bankruptcy, Iskandar hatched a plot to rob the elder Mr Tan after the latter had previously filed a police report over a theft from his safe deposit box.

In his defence, Iskandar had claimed that murder was never on his mind - his plan had been to take the money from Mr Tan and run.

He had been unarmed as he was trying to trick Mr Tan into handing over his valuables, and only stabbed and slashed both men when they tried to prevent him from escaping.

The trial will resume on Wednesday.

This article was first published on November 9, 2015.
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