A 23-year-old man, Benjamin Chia Yit Loong, has been charged with public nuisance following an incident in which he allegedly deflated the tyres of five vehicles at two multi-storey carparks in Woodlands.
The alleged offences took place on November 19 between 10 am and noon at the carparks located at Block 517A and Block 519A Woodlands Drive 14.
According to police reports, the incident came to light when a car owner discovered her vehicle’s tyres had been deflated and promptly alerted the authorities. Following the report, Chia was arrested within eight hours of the incident.
Preliminary investigations revealed that at least four other cars in the vicinity had suffered similar damage.
In an unexpected twist, Chia is accused of leaving fliers on the windscreens of the affected vehicles, which purportedly aligned his actions with a climate activist group opposing the use of sport utility vehicles (SUVs). This case is believed to be the first connection in Singapore between vandalism and this particular activist group.
According to The Straits Times report, Chia appeared in court via video-link on November 21, where he was visibly handcuffed and dressed in a blue T-shirt. His lawyer, Anil Sandhu, informed the court that Chia is currently a student at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and is in the midst of exams.
Sandhu requested that the next court mention be scheduled after Chia’s examination period.
The lawyer noted that Chia’s parents were present in court and were prepared to post bail.
District Judge Lorraine Ho set bail at $5,000 and indicated that the case is scheduled for another hearing on December 9. She advised Chia to discuss any concerns regarding the adjournment with his legal counsel.
In a statement to The Straits Times, an NUS spokeswoman told that it (NUS) takes a serious view of student misconduct, including criminal offences committed off campus.
She mentioned that the university will implement appropriate disciplinary measures after the court proceedings.
If convicted, Chia faces potential penalties of up to three months in prison, a fine of up to $2,000, or both.
Image via Singapore Police Force
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