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Given what we now know, that Malaysia was on to Mas Selamat almost immediately, was Mas Selamat hoaxer punished excessively?
March 25, 2008
Mas Selamat hoaxer punished with maximum sentence
By Elena Chong
DEPLORABLE: Ng's lies disregarded public interests, said the judge.
A BUS driver who lied to the police about spotting escaped terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari was given the maximum one-year jail term yesterday.
District Judge Hoo Sheau Peng had no hesitation in imposing the heaviest punishment possible for providing false information to a public servant, calling Ng Hang Hai's actions 'deplorable'.
She also made clear that this stiff sentence was to send a clear message to the public that such malicious conduct will not be tolerated.
Ng, a 49-year-old SMRT bus driver, will serve a total of 21 months' imprisonment because he also admitted to another similar charge, while a third was taken into consideration.
The father of three had lied about seeing Mas Selamat because he wanted to get a reward of about $5,000 to $10,000 for information leading to the terrorist's arrest.
He also used the opportunity to try to get someone he had an unpleasant encounter with into trouble.
The judge said Ng's lies interfered in 'matters of national concern' and disregarded the wider public interests in finding Mas Selamat - a man who had planned to crash a plane into Changi Airport.
Judge Hoo also said Ng's false information 'seriously jeopardised' the search for the fugitive, who escaped from Internal Security Department detention on Feb 27.
The authorities dedicated much resources to tracking down Ng's leads over three days. The judge said: 'Such resources were already stretched as the authorities were engaged in one of the largest manhunts in Singapore's history.'
What was even more disturbing to the judge was that Ng did not stop after making his first call to 999 on March 1. Instead, he told further fibs when he gave a written statement at the police station.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Wendy Yap said Ng fabricated the story 'down to the last detail' so that the police would buy his tale.
He first claimed he saw a man resembling Mas Selamat board his bus outside the Singapore Polo Club in Thomson, just four hours after he broke out of the nearby Whitley Road Detention Centre.
When giving his statement at the police station, Ng gave more details of the suspect which he had gleaned from newspaper reports.
He said the man was in blue jeans and slippers, was bleeding from his left leg although the blood had dried up, was walking with a limp in his left leg, and had scratch marks on his forearms.
Ng even told the police that the man spoke in Malay with an Indonesian accent when asking for a free ride as he had lost his wallet.
He claimed that the man alighted at Lentor Avenue, causing the police to send scores of officers there to comb the forested area.
Ng admitted his story was a pack of lies only three days later.
He had also tried to get motorcyclist Hong Bok Leng into trouble by giving police his licence plate number, claiming he saw Mas Selamat get off the bike before boarding his bus. Ng was annoyed with Mr Hong for blocking his way with his parked motorcycle at a bus stop on Victoria Street.
The police said in a statement yesterday that they appreciate all calls 'as long as they are done in good faith' and will take all tip-offs seriously.
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March 25, 2008
Mas Selamat hoaxer punished with maximum sentence
By Elena Chong
DEPLORABLE: Ng's lies disregarded public interests, said the judge.
A BUS driver who lied to the police about spotting escaped terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari was given the maximum one-year jail term yesterday.
District Judge Hoo Sheau Peng had no hesitation in imposing the heaviest punishment possible for providing false information to a public servant, calling Ng Hang Hai's actions 'deplorable'.
She also made clear that this stiff sentence was to send a clear message to the public that such malicious conduct will not be tolerated.
Ng, a 49-year-old SMRT bus driver, will serve a total of 21 months' imprisonment because he also admitted to another similar charge, while a third was taken into consideration.
The father of three had lied about seeing Mas Selamat because he wanted to get a reward of about $5,000 to $10,000 for information leading to the terrorist's arrest.
He also used the opportunity to try to get someone he had an unpleasant encounter with into trouble.
The judge said Ng's lies interfered in 'matters of national concern' and disregarded the wider public interests in finding Mas Selamat - a man who had planned to crash a plane into Changi Airport.
Judge Hoo also said Ng's false information 'seriously jeopardised' the search for the fugitive, who escaped from Internal Security Department detention on Feb 27.
The authorities dedicated much resources to tracking down Ng's leads over three days. The judge said: 'Such resources were already stretched as the authorities were engaged in one of the largest manhunts in Singapore's history.'
What was even more disturbing to the judge was that Ng did not stop after making his first call to 999 on March 1. Instead, he told further fibs when he gave a written statement at the police station.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Wendy Yap said Ng fabricated the story 'down to the last detail' so that the police would buy his tale.
He first claimed he saw a man resembling Mas Selamat board his bus outside the Singapore Polo Club in Thomson, just four hours after he broke out of the nearby Whitley Road Detention Centre.
When giving his statement at the police station, Ng gave more details of the suspect which he had gleaned from newspaper reports.
He said the man was in blue jeans and slippers, was bleeding from his left leg although the blood had dried up, was walking with a limp in his left leg, and had scratch marks on his forearms.
Ng even told the police that the man spoke in Malay with an Indonesian accent when asking for a free ride as he had lost his wallet.
He claimed that the man alighted at Lentor Avenue, causing the police to send scores of officers there to comb the forested area.
Ng admitted his story was a pack of lies only three days later.
He had also tried to get motorcyclist Hong Bok Leng into trouble by giving police his licence plate number, claiming he saw Mas Selamat get off the bike before boarding his bus. Ng was annoyed with Mr Hong for blocking his way with his parked motorcycle at a bus stop on Victoria Street.
The police said in a statement yesterday that they appreciate all calls 'as long as they are done in good faith' and will take all tip-offs seriously.
[email protected]
