Non-practising lawyer M Ravi offered bail
Non-practising lawyer Ravi Madasamy was granted on bail on Friday morning (Aug 25) after agreeing not to make social media posts or harass others. TODAY file photo
SINGAPORE – Non-practising lawyer Ravi Madasamy was granted bail on Friday morning (Aug 25) but will remain in remand, after no bailor stepped forward to furnish the bail amount of S$20,000 before the State Courts’ bail centre closed in the evening.
He was offered bail after agreeing not to make social media posts or harass others – conditions laid out by the court that were requested by the prosecution. Apart from a blanket ban on posting on social media, Ravi must refrain from reoffending in any way – for instance, assaulting or causing hurt to others.
“(He is) not to, by himself, through any person or by any other means, abuse, cause annoyance, harass, insult or disturb others,” said Deputy Public Prosecutor Sarah Ong.
The 48-year-old faces seven charges for various offences.
Between June 17 and 27, he allegedly made three attempts to break into his former workplace at People’s Park Centre. Together with an accomplice, he used a screwdriver to remove the gate of the law firm.
For this, he was charged with housebreaking.
On July 31 and Aug 11, he was said to have caused public nuisance at Sri Mariamman Temple by using abusive language on others. And on Aug 8, he apparently hurt lawyers Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss and Nakoorsha Abdul Kadir – by pushing Mrs Chong-Aruldoss to the ground and committing a rash act of throwing a bag at Mr Nakoorsha.
After the prosecution made their bail conditions known, Ravi questioned the restriction on social media posts. “It curtails my freedom of expression,” he said.
But after a discussion with his newly-appointed lawyer Richard Siaw, he agreed to the conditions.
Mr Siaw told TODAY that he stepped forward to represent Ravi before the hearing on Friday, on account of them being former colleagues.
In granting bail, District Judge Christopher Goh said: “If he’s alleged to commit any further offences on bail, I might be minded to revoke his bail.”
Ravi was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2006. Episodes of mania and depression are symptoms of the condition.
He had been suspended from practice for a year in 2006 because of this condition. He was banned by the High Court from applying for a practising certificate for two years last October, after admitting to four instances of misconduct.
A pre-trial conference will be held on Aug 28.
