TODAYonline | Print http://www.todayonline.com/Print/Singapore/EDC100609-0000125/Ca...

Car park manager charged after fire

05:55 AM Jun 09, 2010
by Zul Othman
SINGAPORE - A property investment firm was charged in court yesterday with two counts of
fire safety violations, nearly two months after a blaze engulfed the fifth floor of People's
Park Complex. The company, Grand City Investment, manages the multi-storey car park at
the complex.
Investigations into the April 21 fire revealed that the company had allegedly erected
full-height partitions over the parking lots to create 20 rooms. These extended across the
building and was done without approval of building plans as required under the Fire Safety
Act, according to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
The SCDF also alleged the rooms were rented out by the company for use as store rooms -
another offence under the Act.
A director from the company appeared before District Judge Sandra Looi to answer to the
charges yesterday. The elderly man declined to identify himself or to be interviewed when
approached.
No one was injured in the fire, which took SCDF 45 minutes to bring under control.
According to court documents, the store rooms made it difficult for firefighters to contain
the blaze, which broke out at about 3.30pm. The SCDF also said the supposed illegal
partitions had rendered existing fire safety provisions at the shopping centre inadequate
and posed a potential fire threat to neighbouring properties,
Grand City's lawyer, Mr Eric Chew, told MediaCorp that his clients have cooperated with the
authorities since the incident. The partitions were dismantled last month.
If found guilty of installing the partitions without approval, the company bosses could be
fined $50,000 or jailed up to 12 months or both. The second offence of changing the use of
premises without approval carries a fine of up to $10,000. The case will be mentioned again
on June 22.

URL http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC100609-0000125/Car-park-manager-charged-after-fire

Copyright 2010 MediaCorp Pte Ltd | All Rights Reserved

1 of 1 9/6/2010 10:42 AM