'Mas Selamat tracker' jailed for making namecards with police logo
Published on Nov 22, 2012
By Khushwant Singh
A forklift driver had on him two name cards bearing his picture, the logo of the Singapore Police Force, and the title of Department of Justice Investigation.
Police officers found these when they searched Putiyan Soeri, 48, near PSA Gate 2 of the Keppel Terminal on Sept 18. He was suspected of having contraband cigarettes.
Today, he was jailed for six weeks for possessing items that resembled identification carried by police officers.
Lawyer Josephus Tan assigned under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme said Putiyan had been diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia but was reluctant to be treated.
Court papers also indicated that he suffers from diabetes and hypertension. In June last year, he had a heart attack but absconded from the National University Hospital without receiving any treatment.
During an examination at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) after his arrest, Putiyan told a psychiatrist that he had made the namecards as he was hot on the trail of Mas Selamat Kasturi. He was unaware that the terrorist had been detained since 2009.
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