Riot: 28 face charges, 53 to be deported
Police investigations largely completed; 200 workers will get police advisories
By Feng Zengkun And Rachel Au-yong, The Straits Times, 18 Dec 2013
Police investigations largely completed; 200 workers will get police advisories
By Feng Zengkun And Rachel Au-yong, The Straits Times, 18 Dec 2013
MORE than a week after mayhem broke out in Little India, police have largely completed their investigations and the authorities are proceeding with charges against 28 foreign workers and deporting another 53 of them.
The 53 will be given stern warnings and banned from entering Singapore. Yesterday, seven others had the charges of rioting dropped against them in court.
Police said another 200 involved in the riot will be given advisories to obey the law but no further action will be taken against them. Their involvement was deemed "relatively passive based on the available evidence", and they can work here as long as they keep on the right side of the law.
The police said about 300 men were involved in the incident, not the initial estimate of 400.
At a press conference yesterday, Commissioner of Police Ng Joo Hee said not many more arrests, charges or repatriations are expected, barring new information or evidence.
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said the punishments sent a strong signal that the Government will not tolerate actions by anyone who threatens Singapore's law and order.
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said the punishments sent a strong signal that the Government will not tolerate actions by anyone who threatens Singapore's law and order.
"We will spare no effort to ensure that Singapore remains safe and peaceful for all who live, work in or visit our country."
During the riot - sparked by a fatal traffic accident involving Indian national Sakthivel Kumaravelu - some 39 Home Team officers sustained injuries and 25 government vehicles were damaged.
Mr Ng said more than 500 police officers were deployed in the aftermath in a "wide-ranging and fast-moving investigation".
Almost 4,000 people were interviewed, out of whom 420 were called up to assist in the probes.
The 28 workers charged so far were "active participants" in the riot who committed violent acts, damaged property, defied police orders or incited others to do so.
Although the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) had earlier charged 35 people, it withdrew charges against seven for lack of evidence. Four of the seven will receive stern warnings and further action could be taken against them. The remaining three are free to work and live here.
The rounding up of the 53 workers for deportation began at 3.30am yesterday and ended by 5.16am, sources told The Straits Times, with no incident reported at the various dormitories they were picked up from. The workers, employed by 48 companies, are now at the Admiralty West Prison, an immigration depot.
Their actions on Sunday last week ranged from obstructing the police to failing to obey police orders to disperse.
DPM Teo said the repatriation is in accordance with laws here to deal with people assessed to be safety and security threats.
Mr Ng said the Ministry of Manpower will handle their final salaries and other administrative matters before they leave. Some will also be interviewed by the four- man Committee of Inquiry investigating the riot. Their embassies have been alerted and have full consular access to them.
Two others are now out on bail pending further investigations.
Said Mr Teo: "I would like to stress that we deal with those involved in the riot in a strict, firm and fair way. Each of these cases and each of these persons is dealt with carefully. The AGC and police will go through the evidence."
Charges against 7 Indian nationals withdrawn
Four of them will be given stern warnings, could face further action
By Walter Sim And Rachel Au-yong, The Straits Times, 18 Dec 2013
Four of them will be given stern warnings, could face further action
By Walter Sim And Rachel Au-yong, The Straits Times, 18 Dec 2013
SEVEN Indian nationals who allegedly took part in the Little India riot were released yesterday, leaving several of them in tears after getting a discharge amounting to an acquittal.
Public prosecutors withdrew the charges against them as the evidence was not good enough, it was explained at a press conference yesterday.
But out of the seven, aged between 22 and 45, four will be given stern warnings and face the possibility of further action. No action will be taken against the other three, whose identities were not revealed.
Kong Hwee Iron Works & Construction site manager Ramaiah Thiyagarajan, 44, was in court to receive his 25-year-old employee Selvarasu Dhanapal, one of the seven freed.
Mr Ramaiah told The Straits Times that Mr Selvarasu is a model employee who has been with the company for six years, adding that co-workers were shocked that such a "shy and mild-mannered" man could have been embroiled in the melee.
Mr Sellamuthu Elangovan was the only one of the seven to leave court alone without anyone to receive him. On the verge of tears over his release, the 45-year-old who said he works for Sunho Construction added that he was "happy that there is no problem".
Meanwhile, of the 28 Indian nationals still facing charges, 23 were in court yesterday for their alleged role in last Sunday's incident, which was sparked by a fatal traffic accident involving a construction worker from India.
Two of them, Samiyappan Sellathurai, 41, and Sarangan Kumaran, 35, were charged yesterday for being part of an unlawful assembly and for "throwing pieces of concrete" at people.
Deputy Public Prosecutor John Lu applied to remand the other 21 suspects, who were charged last Tuesday, for an additional week, as the police needed more time to "determine the exact role (they) played in the riot".
District Judge Lim Tse Haw agreed given the amount of evidence involved, but asked for police to "expedite investigations".
When the judge allowed suspects to speak through a court interpreter, several claimed to have been assaulted by the police "where there was no camera".
Some also claimed that the charges were "fabrications", maintaining their innocence as they were "not there at the scene".
With regard to the assault allegations, the judge said the court takes such claims seriously, and added that the suspects can make a police report.
Second Minister for Home Affairs S. Iswaran also said: "If the individuals want to make these allegations, they should make a report and the police will investigate this thoroughly. If anyone is found to have committed an offence in the manner that has been described, then appropriate action will be taken.
"I think at the same time, if anyone makes frivolous comments and allegations, they will also be appropriately dealt with."
The cases against the remaining five suspects will be mentioned in court within this week, while the cases against the 23 will be mentioned next Monday.
The Law Society said yesterday that it has received applications from several of the workers via its Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, adding that pro bono defence counsel will be assigned for successful applicants "as soon as possible".
How the men are being dealt with
CASES TO PROCEED: 28
The 28 men were allegedly active participants in the Dec 8 riot, committing acts of violence, damaging property, defying police orders or inciting others to do so.
They were among 35 charged in court last week. Yesterday, the charges against seven were withdrawn - four will be warned and could face further action; no further action will be taken against the other three. Two other men remain on bail pending further investigations.
TO BE REPATRIATED: 53
They participated in the riot and failed to disperse despite orders to do so. They will be given a stern warning, repatriated and prohibited from returning to Singapore.
TO BE ADVISED: about 200
They were present at the scene, but have been assessed to be "relatively passive" by not causing obstruction or participating in the riot. They will be issued a formal police advisory. No further action will be taken against them.
Independent expert to reconstruct accident
AN INDEPENDENT expert will be called on to reconstruct the traffic accident that ignited the Little India riot on Dec 8.
This is because the police want to take "special care" in arriving at their findings since the accident sparked the riot, said Police Commissioner Ng Joo Hee at a media briefing yesterday.
He added that the accident is "still being actively investigated" and the police have gained good information.
The accident occurred when scaffolding company worker Sakthivel Kumaravelu, 33, fell onto the path of the rear tyre of a bus and was run over.
He was apparently drunk, and trying to catch up with the bus after he was asked to disembark.
Mr Ng said the police are "in the process of securing the services of an independent expert on accident reconstruction to analyse the information that we have and to provide us with an additional opinion".
Workers not involved need not worry: Shanmugam
By Robin Chan And Joyce Lim, The Straits Times, 18 Dec 2013
By Robin Chan And Joyce Lim, The Straits Times, 18 Dec 2013
SAFETY supervisor Gopal Mahendran, 36, stays in the same dormitory as some of the foreign workers due to be repatriated as a result of the Little India riot, and he worries about his future.
Last night, Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam went to Mr Mahendran's dormitory, Terusan Lodge, to reassure workers like him that those not involved in the riot need not worry.
Both he and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade and Industry S. Iswaran, who visited Jurong Penjuru Dormitory 2, also had dialogues in Tamil with the workers.
Mr Shanmugam addressed 450 workers at Terusan, where the mood, according to Mr Mahendran, has been sombre. Terusan Lodge was also where Mr Sakthivel Kumaravelu, the man killed in the accident that preceded the riot, used to stay.
Last night, Mr Shanmugam assured the workers at the dialogue: "I said on the current evidence, people have been charged, people have been identified for repatriation.
"If you are not involved, barring any new evidence, it is unlikely any action will be taken against you. You don't have to worry, just carry on with your jobs.
"Don't get into trouble in the future, be sensitive, be careful."
He was also asked by reporters about the decision to repatriate 53 workers for their involvement in the riot, even though they were not charged with a crime.
Mr Shanmugam said that under the Immigration Act, the Government has a right, when a determination is made that someone has acted contrary to Singapore's interests or acted in a manner prejudicial to the public security or safety, to ask them to leave.
"They have interviewed about 4,000 over, investigated about 400, and then settled on the 53. So I don't think you can say they chose them on an irrational basis. They had a reason for selecting 53," he said.
Observing that repatriation takes place regularly, he said that if every such case had to go to court and the repatriation decision became judicial rather than administrative, then "every foreigner is entitled to stay here at taxpayers' expense, housed here at taxpayers' expense".
"What we have here works quite well. Foreign workers that come here know they have to behave, and if they don't, they could be sent back. That keeps most of them on the straight and narrow."
Over at Penjuru, Mr Iswaran was asked by reporters about the warnings or advisories issued to 200 workers who were at the scene of the riot. He said it was to put them on notice to abide by Singapore's laws and be on good behaviour if they want to continue working here.
He also had assurances for the 300 workers who attended the dialogue at Penjuru, saying the actions taken against the workers involved in the riot were "fully in accordance with our law, strict, firm and fair".
"They are targeted at those who have committed offences. Those who have not, in any way, flouted our law, may not fear," he said.
One worker at Penjuru asked for the private bus services to Little India to be reinstated. Mr Iswaran said he would look into it.
Last night's visit was Mr Shanmugam's third to a dormitory since the Dec 8 riot in Little India. Last Wednesday, he visited Kranji Lodge 1 to reassure workers.
Ban on alcohol sales in Little India under review
By Joyce Lim, The Straits Times, 18 Dec 2013
By Joyce Lim, The Straits Times, 18 Dec 2013
THE ban on public consumption of alcohol in Little India will continue for now, at least until longer-term measures are worked out by the Committee of Inquiry (COI) looking into the Dec 8 riot.
But the ban on the sale of alcohol by retail outlets, which is hurting many businesses in the area, is being reviewed and the details could be announced as early as today.
This is according to Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade and Industry S. Iswaran, who was speaking last night during a visit to a foreign workers' dormitory in Jurong.
This past weekend saw the police enforce a ban on both the sale and consumption of alcohol in a 1.1 sq km dry zone in Little India. Bus services ferrying foreign workers to the area were also suspended.
As a result, sales dropped 40 per cent to 60 per cent on average for most merchants. Businesses that rely on selling alcohol, such as bars and provision shops, said they lost up to 90 per cent of their usual weekend takings.
"In terms of the sale (of alcohol), the police are now in discussion with stakeholders to finalise the details and this will be announced shortly," said Mr Iswaran.
He added that longer-term measures would be informed by the COI's findings, as well as an ongoing public consultation on alcohol consumption.
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