Allegations of police abuse by ex-SMRT bus drivers are baseless: MHA

[ShangTsung]

Allegations of police abuse by ex-SMRT bus drivers are baseless: MHA

By Saifulbahri Ismail
POSTED: 20 Apr 2013 6:41 PM
UPDATED: 20 Apr 2013 10:53 PM

The Police Internal Affairs Office has completed its investigation into allegations by 32-year-old He Junling and 33-year-old Liu Xiangying that they were abused by police investigators.

Logo of Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs.

SINGAPORE: The Home Affairs Ministry (MHA) said allegations of police abuse by two ex-SMRT bus drivers were baseless.

The Police Internal Affairs Office (IAO) has completed its investigation into allegations by 32-year-old He Junling and 33-year-old Liu Xiangying that they were abused by police investigators.

Both were involved in instigating other SMRT bus drivers to take part in an illegal strike last November.

They first made their police abuse allegations through an online video, two months after the alleged incidents.

He and Liu had alleged they were physically abused and threatened by their interrogators when in police custody in the days after the strike.

However, in a statement on Saturday, MHA said prior to the video, neither He nor Liu had raised any allegations or formal complaints of abuse despite having had ample opportunities to do so.

They could have raised the issue while they were in police lock-up, when they were charged in court on 29 November or after they were released on bail on 6 December.

Police also did not receive any complaints from the Chinese Embassy in relation to the strikers.

Even after the video was released, neither He nor Liu nor their lawyers reported the allegations to the authorities.

He and Liu finally gave details of the alleged abuses to the police in February and March this year.

MHA said both retracted their allegations in statements to the Police Internal Office.

MHA added that He's statements were contradictory.

He retracted his allegations but yet maintained that the allegations were true.

During its investigations, the IAO interviewed 10 persons believed to be implicated or have knowledge of the allegations of abuse.

Following the findings, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Teo Chee Hean said allegations of police abuse are taken very seriously.

Mr Teo said where there is wrongdoing, the officers will be dealt with.

This is essential to maintain professionalism, public trust and confidence in the police.

Mr Teo added officers should be given support when individuals or groups who break the law or condone illegal actions, make baseless, false allegations against them.

He said the investigations have vindicated the officers and protected their reputations.

Separately, the Attorney-General's Chambers said it is considering whether to take action against the producer of the online video, Lee Seng Lynn, which contains the allegations made by the two ex-SMRT bus drivers.

- CNA/ck

 

[ShangTsung]

Officers acted professionally in dealing with SMRT drivers’ petition and illegal strike: Tan Chuan-Jin

By Saifulbahri Ismail
POSTED: 20 Apr 2013 6:27 PM

Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin said his officers had acted professionally in dealing with the petition raised by SMRT bus drivers from China in 2010, and with the illegal strike last November.

An SMRT bus leaves the Admiralty West prison after taking Chinese bus drivers there on December 1, 2012. (AFP/File - Roslan Rahman)

SINGAPORE: Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin said his officers had acted professionally in dealing with the petition raised by SMRT bus drivers from China in 2010, and with the illegal strike last November.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) was responding to various allegations made by ex-SMRT bus driver He Jun Ling and publicised in Yahoo! Singapore.

In a strongly worded statement on Saturday, Mr Tan said the attempts to cast doubts on the Ministry's officers’ professionalism are unfounded, irresponsible, and contrary to public interest.

He added there is no place for spurious allegations from individuals who break the law, disrupt tripartite cooperation, and cast doubts on the integrity of civil servants, nor from those who abet others in these activities.

The Ministry also took issue with Yahoo! Singapore articles which featured an interview with He making unsubstantiated claims against MOM officers.

MOM said Yahoo! Singapore failed to verify the facts with the Ministry before running the story.

Thirty-two-year-old He, had alleged that MOM neglected issues raised by a group of SMRT Chinese bus drivers in 2010.

MOM said the facts clearly contradict He's allegations.

When MOM officers investigated the petition, it was made clear to the drivers that MOM would only be able to address statutory issues that were in breach of the law.

One potential statutory issue raised was the conditions of the drivers' accommodations.

MOM officers inspected the relevant dormitory but found no irregularities in housing conditions.

Another issue raised was the non-payment of bonus.

MOM officers investigated and found the drivers' contractual terms with SMRT did not mention any bonus.

This was also a non-statutory issue.

MOM informed the drivers' representatives of its findings, and also met then-SMRT Chief Executive Officer Saw Phaik Hwa in April 2010 to highlight the points raised in the petition, and requested SMRT to address them.

MOM said in fact, these issues were dealt with some time before He even joined SMRT.

He also alleged that although MOM officers were present to negotiate a settlement for the drivers on the first day of the illegal strike on 26 November last year, none turned up to resume negotiation on the next day.

He also claimed that MOM did not inform the drivers that what they were doing was against the law.

MOM refuted these allegations.

It said its officers responded promptly on 26 November after receiving information that a group of SMRT drivers had refused to report to work.

MOM officers intervened and facilitated a dialogue between both parties.

At the dialogue, MOM also advised the drivers there were proper channels for them to raise their unhappiness over contractual issues, and that their action of not going to work was wrong.

However, on 27 November 2012, a significant group of drivers chose not to return to work.

It was later established that He was one of the key instigators behind this illegal strike.

- CNA/ck

 

[scroobal]

I like the part where he made an allegation when he was not in Singapore and not even employed by SMRT.

 

[Windsorhai]

Govt has 'answered claims' by ex-SMRT drivers

POSTED: 27 Apr 2013 9:40 AM

The government on Friday rejected fresh statements by former SMRT bus driver He Junling and civil society members.

An SMRT bus leaves the Admiralty West prison after taking Chinese bus drivers there on December 1, 2012. (AFP/File - Roslan Rahman)

SINGAPORE: The government on Friday rejected fresh statements by former SMRT bus driver He Junling and civil society members over the Chinese national’s allegations of police abuse, which had been dismissed by the authorities after an investigation.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Ministry of Manpower on Friday said the two statements were “reckless” and “unfounded”, and “repeat allegations the government has already answered”.

It said: “He Junling now repeats his claim that he had been ill-treated but again gives no details. Either he makes a police report and substantiates his allegation with evidence or the allegations must be regarded as unfounded and spurious.

“He cannot have it both ways — casting a smear without having to offer any proof.”

He’s statement Friday maintained that he was assaulted while in police custody, although he decided not to bring charges against the officers.

A separate statement — which was signed off by non-government organisations (NGOs) such as MARUAH, the Think Centre, Workfair Singapore and individuals, including infectious diseases expert Paul Tambyah as well as ex-political detainees Teo Soh Lung and Wong Souk Yee — said, among other things, that it was “not right” for the MHA to suggest the drivers’ claims were “baseless”, “just because they had not raised their complaints during investigations, or had opportunities to do so after that”.

They added: “The veracity of a claim should not be dismissed simply because of the timing in which the complaint was made.”

In response, the ministries said that the NGOs and the individuals should have “facilitated a proper investigation” of He’s allegations, “instead of hindering the investigation while continuing to cast aspersions on the integrity of the police”.

The ministries also accused them of exploiting vulnerable foreign workers. “In the guise of protecting vulnerable foreign workers, the NGOs and individuals have in fact exploited them for their own political ends,” they said, alluding to Associate Professor Tambyah and Ms Teo’s links to the Singapore Democratic Party.

The NGOs and individuals also “continue to repeat their reckless allegations about our labour laws, unions, and the Ministry of Manpower without any basis”, the ministries said.

“Our tripartite system could not have worked for more than 40 years now if it had been based on oppression of workers and suppression of labour rights.”

He, who was convicted along with three others and jailed for seven weeks for instigating an illegal strike against SMRT last year, had claimed that he and another former SMRT driver Liu Xiangying were abused by police officers during investigations on the strike.

These allegations were refuted last Saturday as “baseless” by the MHA, following a probe by the Police Internal Affairs Office.

The ministries on Friday reiterated that the drivers did not raise their complaints with the police or the courts.

“He Junling in fact withdrew his allegation and then contradicted himself. Nevertheless the Police Internal Affairs Office did investigate their claims and found them baseless. The Attorney-General’s Chambers concurred with these findings,” they said.

-TODAY/jc