Senior SMRT executive jailed, suspended from work following second drink-driving conviction
SMRT Trains' chief operating officer Alvin Kek was sentenced to two weeks' jail, fined S$4,000 and banned from driving for three years.
SINGAPORE — SMRT Trains' chief operations officer Alvin Kek Yoke Boon has been sentenced to two weeks' jail, fined S$4,000, and banned from driving for three years after being convicted of drink driving a second time.
He was first convicted of drink-driving on March 11, 2004, and was then fined S$2,800 and disqualified from driving for two years.
Kek was sentenced on Monday (June 25). He has been suspended from work, according to a SMRT spokesperson.
She gave no details on the length of the suspension, or whether Kek will be allowed to keep his job after serving his jail sentence.
Kek could have been jailed for up to a year and fined between $3,000 and $10,000 for his repeat offence.
The court heard that he was caught drink-driving when he ventured into Woodlands Checkpoint at about 3am on April 21 this year.
He had earlier drunk four mugs of Tiger beer over three hours while with his colleagues at Temasek Club at 131 Rifle Range Road.
According to court documents, Kek consumed alcohol as he "needed to destress" after the recent death of his father.
He had intended to drive towards the direction of Woodlands after parting with his colleagues that night, but instead entered the Woodlands Checkpoint.
An Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officer who was attending to Kek's request to turn back to Singapore then suspected that he had consumed alcohol, and instructed him to alight from his car.
Kek failed a breathalyser test at the checkpoint, and further tests at the Jurong Police Divisional Headquarters showed that he had 65mg of alcohol in 100ml of his breath – above the legal limit of 35mg.
Arguing for at least two weeks' jail for Kek, Deputy Public Prosecutor Teo Lu Jia noted that the SMRT senior official was a repeat offender.
She also rejected suggestions that Kek's contributions towards society and the stress he felt from the death of his father could be seen as mitigating factors.
"In the present case, there is a clear and pressing need to deter second-time drink-driving offenders," said DPP Teo.
She also pointed out that Kek had been caught for using his mobile phone while driving on Oct 8, 2015.
In a personal statement issued through SMRT, Kek said: "I deeply regret the incident and would like to assure everyone that I will not drink and drive again."
