SINGAPORE - Two men were charged in court on Wednesday (Nov 18) with organising and promoting an illegal bicycle race without police approval and permits.
Bike shop owner Eric Khoo Shui Yan, 29, and project manager Zulkifli Awab, 39, allegedly organised eight editions of the race at various locations in Singapore.
Called HolyCrit, the race was first organised in September 2013. The last edition of the race was held in November last year, following which the two men were arrested.
A report of the frenetic street race, in which cyclists raced at speeds exceeding 40kmh without brakes, appeared in The Sunday Times last year.
Court documents identified Khoo as the main organizer and Zulkifli as the co-organizer.
The duo, who appeared in court with their friends and family, are being represented by lawyer Shashi Nathan.
No plea was taken and the duo are due back in court in December for a pre-trial conference. They are out on bail of $5,000.
The men each face 16 charges - eight of promoting the competition without police approval, and the remaining eight of conducting the race without a permit.
The prosecution said in court that it was proceeding with four charges. The rest would be taken into consideration.
If found guilty of promoting the race, they could be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $2,000.
For conducting the race, they could be fined up to $1,000 or jailed for up to three months, in the case of a first offence. For subsequent offences, the amount of fines and jail time the court can impose is doubled.
