A formal complaint has been lodged with Mr Benny Lim, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs about possible leak of confidential information obtained during a police investigation, to a journalist from The New Paper.
The complainant Mr Ong was called up last year by Ang Mo Kio Police Division for investigation into a minor case. No further action was taken against him and he was given a conditional warning by the Head Investigation of Ang Mo Kio Police Division, DSP Chris Voo Hong Ping who told him that the outcome of the case would be kept strictly confidential.
In his email addressed to the Permanently Secretary, he wrote that he was approached by a journalist from The New Paper in his office today who wanted to interview him on his one year-old case, which he refused.
Obviously perturbed by his refusal, the journalist, Ng Wan Ching (Hp no: 9823 0493) claimed that even without his input, she will still continue to write her story and publish it anyway because she had done all the necessary “facts-finding” on his case and merely wanted to hear his side of the story for show. ( The case was never published in the papers. )
To prove her point, she went on to reveal details which he had ONLY provided to the Investigating Officer who took his statement last year. When asked where she obtained her source, she declined to divulge.
A shocked Mr Ong then called the Investigating Officer and Head Investigation of Ang Mo Kio Police Division who denied any association or correspondance with the journalist on his case and assured him that “information provided to the police during an investigation is strictly confidential and will not be communicated to outside parties not privy to the investigation.” This was concurred by a lawyer friend he subsequently contacted.
When contacted by Temasek Review in a follow-up email interview, Mr Ong remarked that: “I am perturbed that such supposedly confidential information was leaked to the press and I hope the matter can be investigated thoroughly by the police. “
Amanda Tan
http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/1...tial-information-to-the-new-paper-journalist/
The complainant Mr Ong was called up last year by Ang Mo Kio Police Division for investigation into a minor case. No further action was taken against him and he was given a conditional warning by the Head Investigation of Ang Mo Kio Police Division, DSP Chris Voo Hong Ping who told him that the outcome of the case would be kept strictly confidential.
In his email addressed to the Permanently Secretary, he wrote that he was approached by a journalist from The New Paper in his office today who wanted to interview him on his one year-old case, which he refused.
Obviously perturbed by his refusal, the journalist, Ng Wan Ching (Hp no: 9823 0493) claimed that even without his input, she will still continue to write her story and publish it anyway because she had done all the necessary “facts-finding” on his case and merely wanted to hear his side of the story for show. ( The case was never published in the papers. )
To prove her point, she went on to reveal details which he had ONLY provided to the Investigating Officer who took his statement last year. When asked where she obtained her source, she declined to divulge.
A shocked Mr Ong then called the Investigating Officer and Head Investigation of Ang Mo Kio Police Division who denied any association or correspondance with the journalist on his case and assured him that “information provided to the police during an investigation is strictly confidential and will not be communicated to outside parties not privy to the investigation.” This was concurred by a lawyer friend he subsequently contacted.
When contacted by Temasek Review in a follow-up email interview, Mr Ong remarked that: “I am perturbed that such supposedly confidential information was leaked to the press and I hope the matter can be investigated thoroughly by the police. “
Amanda Tan
http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/1...tial-information-to-the-new-paper-journalist/
