SINGAPORE, May 11 — Almost five years after successfully conspiring to slash the face of a rival, the owner of popular murtabak restaurant Zam Zam and his former longtime friend were sentenced to jail terms today.
Zackeer Abbass Khan, 49, was given six years’ jail and six strokes of the cane for masterminding the attack.
His ex-friend and secret society member, 50-year-old Anwer Ambiya Kadir Maideen, was given five-and-a-half years’ jail. He was spared caning as those aged above 50 cannot be caned by law.
Both men were found guilty in March of conspiring to cause grievous hurt to Victory Restaurant supervisor Liakath Ali Mohamed Ibrahim. Zackeer was convicted of another charge of criminally intimidating Liakath one week before the attack.
Anwer, who also worked as a safety officer, pleaded guilty today to being a senior member of a secret society.
Zackeer’s lawyer Sabrinder Singh said that his client will be appealing against District Judge Mathew Joseph’s decision, while Anwer will begin serving his sentence on July 6.
Anwer’s lawyer Peter Keith Fernando asked for a deferment as Anwer has to arrange for someone to take over running his Serangoon restaurant, which has been affected by the current Covid-19 pandemic.
Both men remain out on bail in the meantime.
Before passing sentence, District Judge Joseph said that this case was a “salutary and sad reminder that one should not allow the red mist of bitterness and anger to cloud one’s better judgement.”
He told Zackeer that he “should have known better,” as he had been an “eminently successful businessman” and used “good judgement and business acumen” in running Zam Zam.
The judge had noted during the conviction that Zam Zam and Victory, located next to each other along North Bridge Road in the Bugis area, have been embroiled in an almost century-long rivalry.
Zackeer and Liakath were business partners but fell out over a failed business venture, which ended with Zackeer being sued and “cheated” of S$80,000 (RM52,194) in sales proceeds, according to the prosecution.
Liakath, who had worked at Zam Zam since 1985, left in 2014 to join Victory Restaurant. Zackeer then developed a grudge against his former friend.
Both restaurants persistently touted for patrons, resulting in rising tensions between management and staff at both establishments, District Judge Joseph has previously noted.
What happened
On August 22, 2015, four days before the attack, Liakath stood outside Victory to tout for customers. He told a police officer that he was doing this as Zam Zam staff were doing it too.
When one of the Zam Zam employees heard this, they began arguing. Zackeer then arrived shortly after and threatened Liakath in Tamil: “You watch out, in one week, I will do you.”
Liakath lodged a police report about the incident two days later.
Zackeer later contacted Anwer to give Liakath “a slash on the face.” Anwer relayed the message to his fellow secret society member, Joshua Navindran Surainthiran, before showing him and his older brother Joel Girithiran Suraithiran a photograph of the victim.
Zackeer had given Anwer S$2,000 to slash Liakath’s face. Anwer then passed S$1,700 from that sum to Joshua to carry out the attack on August 26, 2015.
It left Liakath with a 5cm-long permanent scar on his right upper lip.
‘No standard forumla’ for how mastermind works
Today, Deputy Public Prosecutor Claire Poh revealed that Zackeer was jailed in 1998 for snatch theft and desertion.
Meanwhile, Anwer’s criminal record dates back to 1993, when he was jailed and caned for rioting. He was also dealt with in 2004 for affray.
He admitted to having been a secret society member since 1990. He was ranked as a “fighter” and was placed on record with the Registrar of Societies in 1996, and remained a member till his arrest in September 2015.
In mitigation, Fernando — who asked for four years and two months’ jail — said that Anwer has been an inactive member of the gang for a “substantial period of time” and that he was “placed in a dilemma” when Zackeer approached him.
“He refused to get involved but unfortunately, and with much regret, when Zackeer persisted in the attack on (Liakath), it was only then that Anwer contacted Joshua to carry out the attack,” the lawyer added.
Fernando also said that Anwer is the sole breadwinner of his family with a young adopted son. After he was last released from jail, he received his diploma in maritime studies.
Anwer personally addressed the court as well, saying that he “deeply regrets” the mistake he made. He added that Zackeer was using him as a pawn for his own business benefits and “made use of me as a shield to get his own malicious deeds done.”
Nevertheless, District Judge Joseph said that Anwer was “not a mere conduit” for Zackeer’s instructions. Zackeer was also financing Anwer’s restaurant business.
Meanwhile, Zackeer’s lawyer Sabrinder argued that this was not a gang-related offence and that his client was not the mastermind of the attack, as he had left most of the details to Anwer.
But District Judge Joseph said that there was “no standard formula for how a mastermind should work”.
“It’s quite clear that without Zackeer approaching Anwer, this whole transaction leading to attack would not have taken place,” the judge added. —TODAY
