A 32-year-old Indian-origin man, Vickreman Harvey Chettiar, was charged with making an online post calling for Singapore President Halimah Yacob’s death by hanging near the Parliament House. Chettiar was out on bail for being previously charged with mischief and harassment when he allegedly made the Instagram post on April 30.
According to reports, he has a history of creating ruckus on several occasions, including threatening a police investigation officer and hoping terrorists would attack a police divisional headquarters. Deputy Public Prosecutor Shaun Lim applied for Vickreman’s bail to be revoked because of the latest charge involving President Halimah, as his bail condition might have been breached. Lim also told the District Judge that Vickreman had shown an escalation in his behavior and asked for him to be remanded at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).
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Vickreman has been ordered to be remanded at IMH for a medical examination, and his case has been adjourned to May 19. Matters pertaining to his bail will be dealt with later. If convicted of the harassment charge involving President Halimah, he can be jailed for up to a year and fined up to SGD 5,000.
According to Singapore's law, a mischief offender can be jailed for up to a year and fined. The Deputy Public Prosecutor argued that the latest charge against Vickreman was serious and that he had shown no regard for the law or authority. Singapore is known for its strict laws, especially regarding public order and security, and the government takes these matters very seriously.
