SINGAPORE - A Maserati driver, who was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run accident with a traffic police officer last week, is now under investigation for offences including online gambling and unlicensed money lending, the court heard on Friday (Nov 24).

Lee Cheng Yan, 33, was also given an additional charge of driving while under disqualification.

He was first charged on Nov 18 with causing grievous hurt by performing a rash act.

He had been banned from holding or obtaining a driving licence for nine months - from July 4 this year to April 3 - when his car allegedly hit Staff Sergeant Khairulanwar Abd Kahar along Bedok Reservoir Road at around 9.20pm on Nov 17.

This was not the first time that Lee was charged with driving while under disqualification. In 2001, he was jailed for two months and banned from driving for 10 years for a similar offence.

On Friday, Deputy Public Prosecutor Quek Jing Feng said the authorities only found out about Lee’s online gambling activities on Thursday.

He told District Judge Tan Jen Tse that Lee may face additional charges and forensic work needs to be done to analyse devices such as computers and mobile phones.

DPP Quek applied for him to be remanded for another week.

“If (Lee) is released, he may alter or destroy the evidence. He knows what he has done and he knows investigations have begun,” said the DPP.

He also said there is a risk that Lee might approach potential witnesses who are his friends.

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Lee is represented by lawyers Tania Chin and Jeremy Pereira.

Ms Chin objected to the prosecution’s application, saying “there is no real reason” for Lee to be remanded while investigations are ongoing.

But Judge Tan granted DPP Quek’s application and Lee is now remanded at Bedok Police Division. He will be back in court on Dec 1.

The police said last week that Staff Sgt Khairulanwar, 26, stopped Lee’s vehicle while conducting enforcement checks on the night of Nov 17.

As he approached the car, Lee allegedly reversed it and accelerated forward, hitting him.

The officer is said to have been left clinging to the driver’s door and dragged for about 100m before falling onto the road.

He suffered serious injuries, according to court documents, and was taken to Changi General Hospital.

Officers arrested Lee in a Geylang Bahru Road HDB flat. The Maserati was found abandoned in Cedar Avenue, off Upper Aljunied Road.

If convicted of causing grievous hurt by performing a rash act, Lee can be jailed for up to four years and fined up to $10,000.