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Trump-Kim summit: Tourist escorted away by police on Sentosa amid media fracas
Wong Casandra
Yahoo News Singapore12 June 2018
A heated argument broke out between Ministry of Communications and Information officials and some of the assembled journalists outside Capella on Tuesday, 12 June 2018. PHOTO: Wong Casandra/Yahoo News Singapore
A tourist was escorted away by police on Sentosa on Tuesday morning (12 June) amid a heated argument between journalists and government officials, ahead of the historic Trump-Kim Summit at the luxury Capella hotel.
About 100 journalists were stationed opposite Capella when a shuttle bus rolled up at about 8.16am, blocking their view of the hotel entrance. This occurred shortly after US President Donald Trump’s motorcade had entered the hotel.
It was at this point that a German-speaking man approached a Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) official and told her to move the bus as it was blocking the journalists’ view of proceedings. “This is your job, you are paid to do this,” said the man.
Tensions rose as other journalists chimed in, including ZDF cameraman Bert Schoenborn and another foreign photojournalist. Voices were raised as some journalists heckled MCI officials.
At one point, a female MCI officer was heard asking police to revoke the media accreditation of Schoenborn and the German-speaking man. The officer also claimed to police that he had gotten physical and touched her back.
At around 8.35am, the German-speaking man revealed that he was not actually a journalist but a tourist. Asked by the police to verify his identity, he claimed that he had left his passport in his hotel but could give them his “German address”.
The tourist had entered the island by taxi and bus and entered the special event zone gazetted by police, which includes Capella. Within the zone, police have special powers to search individuals and their possessions and can also ask to leave the area.
The tourist was then escorted away by police. It is not known if he was taken off the island.
When approached, MCI officials declined to comment.
Yahoo News Singapore has reached out to police for more information on the tourist.
Wong Casandra
Yahoo News Singapore12 June 2018
A heated argument broke out between Ministry of Communications and Information officials and some of the assembled journalists outside Capella on Tuesday, 12 June 2018. PHOTO: Wong Casandra/Yahoo News Singapore
A tourist was escorted away by police on Sentosa on Tuesday morning (12 June) amid a heated argument between journalists and government officials, ahead of the historic Trump-Kim Summit at the luxury Capella hotel.
About 100 journalists were stationed opposite Capella when a shuttle bus rolled up at about 8.16am, blocking their view of the hotel entrance. This occurred shortly after US President Donald Trump’s motorcade had entered the hotel.
It was at this point that a German-speaking man approached a Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) official and told her to move the bus as it was blocking the journalists’ view of proceedings. “This is your job, you are paid to do this,” said the man.
Tensions rose as other journalists chimed in, including ZDF cameraman Bert Schoenborn and another foreign photojournalist. Voices were raised as some journalists heckled MCI officials.
At one point, a female MCI officer was heard asking police to revoke the media accreditation of Schoenborn and the German-speaking man. The officer also claimed to police that he had gotten physical and touched her back.
At around 8.35am, the German-speaking man revealed that he was not actually a journalist but a tourist. Asked by the police to verify his identity, he claimed that he had left his passport in his hotel but could give them his “German address”.
The tourist had entered the island by taxi and bus and entered the special event zone gazetted by police, which includes Capella. Within the zone, police have special powers to search individuals and their possessions and can also ask to leave the area.
The tourist was then escorted away by police. It is not known if he was taken off the island.
When approached, MCI officials declined to comment.
Yahoo News Singapore has reached out to police for more information on the tourist.
