Kovan murder trial: Policeman had debts close to half-a-million dollars
The Kovan murder suspect Iskandar Rahmat leaves the Subordinate Courts on July 15, 2013. TODAY file photo
SINGAPORE — A year after getting married, Iskandar Rahmat split from his wife and ended up with debts of close to half a million dollars, resulting from housing, car and renovation loans. Even after selling his Tampines flat and having his car repossessed and auctioned off, he was still more than S$65,000 in hock.
The court heard details today (Oct 30) of how the 36-year-old, who is on trial for two murders, became entangled in financial woes for around eight years before figuring that a S$200,000 robbery was his way out.
Prosecutors say Iskandar intended to kill car workshop owner Tan Boon Sin and his son Chee Heong during this planned robbery on July 10, 2013. Iskandar, however, claims that his snatch-and-flee plan was foiled by the older victim, and that he ended up stabbing the duo in self-defence.
Giving testimony today, Iskandar said he borrowed S$360,000 to buy his matrimonial home, S$108,000 for a car, and between S$10,000 and S$20,000 for renovations. After his divorce in 2005, Iskandar moved in to stay with his parents and sister in a Kim Keat rental flat. He was taking home S$3,100 each month at that time, which was “comfortable” for his family.
For two years, he paid S$500 a month to settle his car debt while supporting his taxi-driver father and housewife mother, he told the court. He also gave S$12,000 in cash to his father “as he needed money”. In return, his father was supposed to take care of the monthly instalments for the renovation loan, but failed to pay it off.
When the flat was sold for S$450,000, OCBC told Iskandar that there was still a shortfall of S$30,000 to S$40,000, which he said came as a surprise as he had expected a profit. The bank demanded S$87,000 from Iskandar, who disputed the amount and had it reduced to S$65,000.
By June 2012, the then-active police officer was facing disciplinary proceedings for financial embarrassment — public officers cannot have unsecured loans exceeding three times their monthly salary — which could lead to a sacking.
“It was very stressful. I (have) never owed that amount of money at any point in my life,” Iskandar testified today.
In November that year, the older Mr Tan lodged a report of theft from his safe deposit box at Certis CISCO and the case was assigned to Iskandar, who admitted he had already eyed the victim as a potential target to rob at that time. Faced with impending bankruptcy, Iskandar struck an out-of-court deal with the bank on July 3, 2013 to pay S$50,000 at one go in a week’s time to settle the debt, although he had no clue where the money would come from.
On deadline day, Iskandar carried out the robbery plan he had come up with a couple of days before, but was to leave with nothing after the alleged killings.
