This article originally appeared on Vulcan Post.
Mobile Air owner Jover Chew may have moved out of Sim Lim Square long ago — last December, in fact — but the long arm of the law has finally caught up with him. Yesterday, Chew and four other men, all aged between 31 and 38 years old, were reportedly arrested for their dishonest sales practices at Sim Lim Square.
Jover Chew — and consequently, Sim Lim Square’s reputation as a home for dodgy retailers — became infamous in Singapore after a video of Vietnamese tourist Pham Van Thoai begging for a refund on his knees went viral in November last year. The tourist had allegedly tried to buy an iPhone 6 from Mobile Air, but ended up being coerced to pay an inflated $1,500 in warranty fees on top of $950 for the phone.
Chew’s arrest by the police may seem a little belated, but it’s reassuring that instead of the online vigilantism that took place when angry netizens posted Chew’s personal details online, official justice will be served in the form of criminal charges. With new measures to curb errant retailers at Sim Lim Square in the works, businesses at the IT and electronics haven may soon be able to put their unsavory reputation behind them.
