Lawyer charged with molesting woman

A lawyer has been charged with molesting a woman in a hotel room in the Balmoral area.

Ismail Atan, 43, a lawyer of 17 years' standing, was brought to court last month for allegedly using criminal force on the woman - by forcefully grabbing the 28-year-old by her arms and trying to kiss and hug her.

The alleged incident occurred in the hotel room at about 12.45pm on July 4 last year.

The alleged victim cannot be named due to a gag order.

Yesterday, Ismail's lawyer Mohan Das Naidu told District Judge Ronald Gwee that he would be making representations.

Ismail, who graduated from the National University of Singapore in 1996, has been with a number of law firms over the years.

Ismail, whose $5,000 police bail has been extended, will return to court on Jan 13.

He was told not to approach the alleged victim.

If convicted, he could be jailed for up to two years, fined, or receive any combined punishment.

This article was first published on Dec 17, 2014.
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