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SINGAPORE: A video by socio-political site The Online Citizen's (TOC) alleging inaccuracies in a police statement addressing claims of police bullying is "despicable", said Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam on Tuesday (May 25).
Mr Shanmugam's comments came as the police took the unusual step of releasing body-worn camera footage of the incident to verify their account of alleged bullying of an elderly woman who was not wearing a mask.
"So TOC, you go and interview her, this old lady, try and get her to say things," Mr Shanmugam said.
"I would say this is despicable, and how low people will stoop. Unethical, cynical. This whole exercise by TOC is quite malicious to attack the police."
The minister said authorities were still considering if action would be taken against TOC.
Social media posts have alleged that four police officers had "clustered an elderly auntie that took off her mask because she was feeling breathless" and had continued to "tell her off" even though the elderly woman had put her mask on.
The police clarified last Wednesday that these allegations were untrue, adding that officers responded to an incident on May 17 involving an 85-year-old woman who appeared to be lost.
The officers helped the woman, who did not have a mask on, to find her way home, said the police.
"As the incident took place during dinner time, our officers were concerned that the elderly woman might be hungry and bought food for her as well," the police said then.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said last Friday that the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) Office had been instructed to issue correction directions to several parties, including an Instagram user, Singapore Uncensored and The Online Citizen Asia over falsehoods alleging police bullying in the incident.
More at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...n-the-online-citizen-video-shanmugam-14883246
Mr Shanmugam's comments came as the police took the unusual step of releasing body-worn camera footage of the incident to verify their account of alleged bullying of an elderly woman who was not wearing a mask.
"So TOC, you go and interview her, this old lady, try and get her to say things," Mr Shanmugam said.
"I would say this is despicable, and how low people will stoop. Unethical, cynical. This whole exercise by TOC is quite malicious to attack the police."
The minister said authorities were still considering if action would be taken against TOC.
Social media posts have alleged that four police officers had "clustered an elderly auntie that took off her mask because she was feeling breathless" and had continued to "tell her off" even though the elderly woman had put her mask on.
The police clarified last Wednesday that these allegations were untrue, adding that officers responded to an incident on May 17 involving an 85-year-old woman who appeared to be lost.
The officers helped the woman, who did not have a mask on, to find her way home, said the police.
"As the incident took place during dinner time, our officers were concerned that the elderly woman might be hungry and bought food for her as well," the police said then.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said last Friday that the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) Office had been instructed to issue correction directions to several parties, including an Instagram user, Singapore Uncensored and The Online Citizen Asia over falsehoods alleging police bullying in the incident.
More at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...n-the-online-citizen-video-shanmugam-14883246
