A 49-year-old man, Koh Lee Hwa, is currently on trial in Singapore for allegedly raping a woman who had hired him to repair electrical fixtures in her flat. The trial, which began earlier in the week, entered its third day on July 31, where Koh took the stand and denied all accusations of non-consensual activity. He claimed the sexual encounter was initiated by the woman and that the act was consensual, further asserting that the duration of the act slightly over 10 minutes was “too short” for it to have been rape. Koh made this comparison referencing his usual intimacy with his wife.
The alleged offences reportedly took place between 11.40am and 12.40pm on August 23, 2021. Koh, a Singapore permanent resident, faces multiple charges: one count of rape, one count of sexual assault by penetration, and two counts of outrage of modesty. The identity and age of the alleged victim have been redacted from court documents.
According to prosecution, Koh had been hired by the woman since 2015 to conduct various repair works at her flat. On August 21, 2021, she requested help to fix a faulty light and a kitchen switch. Koh carried out some repairs on August 22, and returned two days later to complete the work, bringing necessary components to fix the main circuit switchboard.
The woman alleged that Koh first hugged her without consent in the living room. Disturbed, she retreated to her bedroom and messaged two friends to inform them about the unsolicited hug. Later, while checking the switches near the master bedroom toilet, Koh allegedly pushed her against a dressing table and hugged her again. She reportedly tried to resist and asked him to stop, but he proceeded to rape her on the bed, ignoring her protests and even continuing after she bit him.
In court, Koh denied the initial unsolicited hug. He claimed that while they were outside the toilet in the master bedroom, the woman grabbed his arm and led him toward intimacy. Through a Mandarin interpreter, he recounted asking her, “What do you want?”, to which she allegedly replied with the same phrase. According to Koh, they began kissing, and the situation escalated rapidly, ending in sex. He said the woman made sounds of excitement, and the act was mutual.
When asked by Justice Mavis Chionh about any conversation during the encounter, Koh said there was none. He added that he pushed her away at one point because he didn’t want his family to find out about the affair. After the act, Koh claimed the woman uttered the word “money,” to which he responded “don’t have.” He said he wasn’t sure whether she was referring to a payment for the repairs or requesting money for another reason.
Koh went on to speculate that the woman might have been jealous because she saw him wearing a gold chain, a claim that prompted the judge to question its relevance. The prosecutor, Deputy Public Prosecutor Emily Koh, strongly contested his testimony, stating it was inconsistent with the messages the woman sent to her friends, which painted a clear picture of non-consensual physical contact.
Koh denied ever hugging the woman in the living room and insisted that the woman was the one who initiated the encounter. He maintained that the mood was mutual and claimed she was trying to entice him. He rejected the idea that she resisted or tried to push him away.
The trial concluded with Koh’s testimony. Both the prosecution and defense have been given four weeks to file written submissions and another week to submit replies. The court will deliver a verdict after reviewing the written arguments from both sides.
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