GrabFin’s managing director, Wong Wenbin, sentenced for driving under the influence and causing an accident.
Wong Wenbin, the managing director of Grab’s fintech arm, GrabFin, was sentenced to 12 days in jail and fined $5,000 on Oct 24, 2024, for drink driving and crashing into a traffic light. He was also disqualified from driving for 36 months. The incident occurred on Aug 17, 2023, when Wong was found to have almost double the legal alcohol limit in his system after drinking two glasses of red wine at a KTV lounge before driving home.
At approximately 12:50am, Wong crashed his red BMW into a traffic light at the junction of Havelock Road and Outram Road, causing significant damage. The traffic light was damaged to the tune of $2,100, and Wong spent between $15,000 to $20,000 repairing his vehicle.
The court considered Wong a serious offender, highlighting that he caused the accident less than an hour after his last drink. Wong’s previous traffic offenses, including speeding and failing to stop at a red light, were also noted by the prosecution. In response, Wong’s lawyer proposed community service as an alternative to a jail sentence, but this was rejected by the court.
The case comes amid rising concerns about drink driving in Singapore, with a significant increase in fatal accidents related to it. The offense carries a penalty of a fine of $2,000 to $10,000, up to 12 months in jail, or both. Repeat offenders face harsher penalties.
