SINGAPORE: Singapore's criminal and legal scene was abuzz with interesting and shocking cases in 2006.

These included 19 murder cases in the first 11 months of this year, one more than for the same period last year.

Most were crimes of passion where the victims and attackers had known one another. These cases were quickly solved.

Other highlights for 2006 were a new Chief Justice and a lawyer fleeing off with clients' money.

2006 kicked off to a dramatic start - like a scene from the movies.

41-year-old night-club owner Lim Hock Soon was shot five times, execution-style, at his Serangoon flat.

The assailant, 40-year-old Tan Chor Jin dubbed "One Eyed Dragon" for being blind in his right eye, was caught and charged with discharging a firearm, an offence punishable by death.

His trial is set to start in January 2007.

Soon after Lim Hock Soon's case, Singaporeans were shaken by another murder - that of toddler Nur Asyura Mohamed Fauzi, nicknamed Nonoi.

Reported missing on 1st March from her step-grandfather's ground-floor flat in Circuit Road, Nonoi's body was found three days later, wedged under a flyover in Aljunied.

Her step-father and alleged killer, 29-year-old Mohamed Ali Johari, is now in remand.

The year also saw the swearing-in of Singapore's new Chief Justice.

Taking over from Mr Yong Pung How, who was at the helm for 15 years, Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong vowed to uphold strict but fair enforcement of criminal law.

Chief Justice Chan also enforced stricter rules on how small law firms should handle clients' accounts.

The move came after lawyer David Rasif fled the country with more than $10 million of his clients' money.

Commenting on the case, Philip Jeyaretnam, president of the Law Society of Singapore, said: "What we have to do is to reduce the possibilities for fraud and to make sure it's harder to commit fraud, and if fraud takes place it's faster for us to detect it and put an end to it."

2006 also brought to a close sensational cases that have gripped Singaporeans in the past years.

Filipino maid Guen Aguilar was sentenced to 10 years' jail for the gruesome killing of fellow Filipino maid Jane La Puebla.

51-year-old Leong Shiew Chor was sentenced to death for killing his lover, 22-year-old Chinese national Liu Hong Mei.

The court was convinced Leong killed Liu to silence her from exposing him of stealing over $2,000 from her bank account.

Leong has till 12th January to appeal for the President's pardon.

Meanwhile, 24-year-old Malaysian Took Leng How was hanged for killing eight-year-old Huang Na.

Took's earlier plea for clemency was rejected by the President.

Since Independence, the President has granted clemency only six times.

Singapore lawyers are also hoping for more improvements on the legal scene, like the recent proposed changes to the Penal Code.

Said criminal lawyer Subhas Ananda: "I hope the legal system will improve again. There is still room for improvement, like the Penal Code changes that are coming about. That again shows that the country is progressing in the right direction. I hope the parliament will give judges more discretion... (so that) there will not be anymore minimum sentences and mandatory sentences like the death sentence. I hope it will be discretionary."

On the corporate front, the arrest of former NKF CEO, TT Durai, attracted strong public interest.

TT Durai and several on the board of directors of the old NKF are facing civil and criminal suits.

The charges were filed after a report by auditing firm KPMG revealed questionable practices by the old NKF.

The cases are currently pending trial. - CNA/ir