Suspect’s family to get him a lawyer by next court date; victim cremated yesterday
The man accused of murdering his son-in-law before a lunchtime crowd in the Central Business District on Monday was taken back to court yesterday.
The prosecution asked that Tan Nam Seng, 69, be remanded at the Complex Medical Centre in Changi Prison for psychiatric assessment. The judge agreed to the request.
Tan was charged on Wednesday with causing the death of Mr Spencer Tuppani, 38, a former director of port operations and logistics service provider TNS Ocean Lines, at a coffee shop in Telok Ayer Street at 1.22pm on Monday.
After he was stabbed, Mr Tuppani ran and collapsed outside an eatery, A Poke Theory, in Boon Tat Street, 70m away.
He was taken to Singapore General Hospital, where he died about an hour later.
Mr Tuppani married Tan’s eldest daughter, Ms Tan Cheng Cheng, in 2004. He joined TNS Ocean Lines in 2003, and went on to become the firm’s chief executive and director.
In 2014, he was credited with steering the company back to profitability, after weathering the 2008 global economic crisis. He was also named an Outstanding Entrepreneur finalist at the 2014 Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry-DBS Singapore Indian Entrepreneur Awards.
TNS Ocean Lines was sold to logistics company GKE Corporation for $9 million in November last year.
Mr Tuppani was cremated yesterday.
Tan’s family has engaged lawyer Andy Chiok to be in court on their behalf.
Yesterday, Mr Chiok informed District Judge Christopher Goh that the family will secure legal representation for Tan by the next court mention on Aug 3.
If found guilty of murder, Tan, who has been remanded since Wednesday, faces the death penalty.