Dental surgeon who was jailed for molesting woman suspended for six months
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Dental surgeon Hoo Swee Tiang was sentenced to six weeks' jail in July 2016 after he was convicted of molesting a woman by touching her inner thighs while they were on an MRT train.
PHOTO: ST FILE
Felicia Choo
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SINGAPORE - A dental surgeon who was jailed for molesting a woman will be suspended for six months, the Singapore Dental Council (SDC) said in a statement on Monday (Oct 29).
At the end of the suspension, Dr Hoo Swee Tiang, 34, will work for two years under conditional registration, which requires him to be supervised by two dentists approved by the SDC.
In July 2016, the dental surgeon, then 32, was sentenced to six weeks' jail after he was convicted of molesting the woman, a bank teller, by touching her inner thighs while they were on an MRT train.
His appeal against the court's decision was dismissed in March last year, and he started serving his sentence about six weeks later on May 11.
The SDC held a disciplinary committee inquiry against Dr Hoo on May 8 this year.
It brought one charge against him for his conviction of a criminal offence, implying a defect of character that makes him unfit for his profession under section 40(1)(b) of the Dental Registration Act.
Dr Hoo contested the charge, but the disciplinary committee disagreed and held that a conviction for an offence of outrage of modesty is in and of itself a character defect that renders him unfit for his profession.
He will be able to apply for full registration - under which a dentist is allowed to practise independently - only after completing the two-year conditional registration, subject to SDC's approval.
While he is under conditional registration, his principal supervisor is required to submit a report to the SDC every six months.
The SDC also ordered Dr Hoo to be censured in writing, give an undertaking to abstain from such conduct in future, and pay the cost of the hearing.
