Licensee of Jalan Besar nightclub fined for failing to prevent manager from assaulting hostess, other offences

SINGAPORE — The licensee of a nightclub in Jalan Besar was fined S$20,000 on Monday (Jan 4) for a string of offences committed over the past four years, including failing to take steps to prevent his manager from assaulting a hostess while on duty.

Quek Swee Meng, 57, from Haomiko KTV Niteclub pleaded guilty to four charges of flouting conditions under a public entertainment licence. Five other similar charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

The court heard that in the early hours of Sept 27 in 2017, the club’s manager Quek Wei Loon slapped Ms Mai Thi Kieu Trang twice on the cheeks after hearing that the Vietnamese freelance hostess had scribbled on the mirror in the female toilet.

Quek Swee Meng was not at the club during the assault. 

Investigations later showed that there were no security officers or bouncers around that night. This is a breach of licence conditions.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Andrew Low said that Quek Swee Meng had thus failed to take all the appropriate steps to ensure that his employee did not commit assault.

During spot checks between March 2019 and February last year, the police also found that he did not keep proper employment records and failed to ensure that patrons did not gamble.

A check by the police in March 2019 just past midnight found that there were no employment dates for the club’s general manager Oh Wee Kiong and manager Khoo Fu Jian. 

Quek Swee Meng had also not ensured that nightclub performers did not sit or mingle with patrons, which was illegal because he did not obtain approval from the licensing officer for performers to do so.

Based on police spot checks in August 2019 and February last year, performers were found to be drinking and mingling with the club’s patrons at tables.

Quek Swee Meng could have been fined up to S$10,000 for each of the four charges.