Woman told colleague of alleged molestation by senior public servant
A 43-year-old woman who alleges that a senior public servant in an education-related government body molested her had told a male colleague about her ordeal, a district court heard yesterday.
On the fourth day of the trial, the confidant testified that the woman told him about it after they went to a hawker centre near their workplace in 2017.
He said the woman told him the alleged offender had "brushed her arm", adding that she might have said the alleged offender touched her arm with his "lower body".
The confidant, who cannot be named, also told District Judge John Ng that according to the woman, it was not the first time the alleged offender had committed such an act.
The court heard the confidant "almost immediately" sent an e-mail to a colleague, who was a senior executive in their organisation, stating the alleged victim wanted to see her.
The two women later had a meeting before a police report was made.
The alleged offender, a 66-year-old Singaporean, is accused of molesting two women who were his colleagues at the time.
The man, who also cannot be named to protect the women's identities, is accused of nine counts of molestation between February and December 2016.
The cases are said to involve the 43-year-old woman and a 55-year-old female colleague.
Court documents did not state if the man has left the organisation or is still working there.
He allegedly molested the 43-year-old five times and is accused of targeting the older woman four times.
Six of the alleged offences occurred in their workplace.
The other three offences are said to have taken place during work-related trips to the Philippines, Vietnam and Myanmar, and they allegedly involved the 55-year-old woman.
She was the next witness after the confidant took the stand yesterday. Her testimony was heard in-camera. This means that the hearing was not open to the public, including members of the media.
The trial resumes today.
For each count of molestation, offenders can be jailed for up to two years and fined or caned. If convicted, the man cannot be caned as he is over 50 years old.
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