SCDF ragging death: Commander admits he 'failed duty' by letting NSF go into pump well

SINGAPORE — One of Corporal Kok Yuen Chin’s commanders said in a police statement that he had “failed my duty as a supervisor”, as he was supposed to stop a group of Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers from egging Corporal Kok on to enter a 12m-deep pump well.

In another statement taken after the incident that led to Corporal Kok’s death on May 13 last year, Lieutenant Chong Chee Boon Kenneth also admitted that he knew his subordinates were “going to make (Corporal Kok) go into the well”, when he saw them gathered there.

This emerged as Chong’s lawyer made the case in a court hearing on Wednesday (June 12) that he might not have known this would happen, and challenged the accuracy of the statements.

Chong, 38, and First Senior Warrant Officer Nazhan Mohamed Nazi, 41, are standing trial in the State Courts for allegedly not preventing their subordinates from making Corporal Kok enter the well.

Chong was the commander of his team, Rota 3, at Tuas View Fire Station, while Nazhan was the deputy commander.

A group of SCDF officers, including Chong and Nazhan, had gathered at the fire station’s watch room that evening to celebrate Corporal Kok’s last duty tour before his National Service stint was to end three days’ later.

The 22-year-old was later pushed into the well, and died from drowning. He did not know how to swim.

A 'SCARED SMILE' ON HIS FACE

Chong’s lawyer, Mr Wee Pan Lee, asserted on Wednesday that Chong did not hear anyone mention “kolam” (“well” in Malay) in the watch room because it was too noisy there. His client was not involved in anything that happened in the yard either, the lawyer said. 

Mr Wee was cross-examining the prosecution’s third witness, Lance Corporal Mohamed Rabik Atham Ansari. The full-time serviceman (NSF) testified that he was close to Corporal Kok, being one of three NSFs at the fire station.

Lance Corporal Ansari told the court that Corporal Kok had a “scared smile” on his face in the watch room, after several officers began shouting: “Kolam, kolam.” He said Corporal Kok also “rushed” to leave the room when the celebrations ended.

Mr Wee questioned him whether Corporal Kok indeed had a “scared smile”, to which the witness said he knew the difference between Corporal Kok’s types of smiles.

The lawyer also asked Lance Corporal Ansari to clarify what he meant by “shouting”.

“Were you saying the person spoke the word louder than normal? Not actually screaming their head off, but speaking in a louder tone than normal because of the background noise?” he questioned.

The witness responded “yes”, and also agreed that the room was noisy then.

“Whatever happened in the yard happened with no involvement from Chong because he wasn’t in the know… If Corporal Kok was unwilling to do anything, he knew that no one in Rota 3 could force him to do it,” Mr Wee told the witness.

“Yes, we were all like a family,” Lance Corporal Ansari replied.

Nazhan’s lawyer, Mr Singa Retnam, also asked him if he knew his client had told Corporal Kok: “If anyone kacau (bothers) you, tell me.”

The witness said he did not know, but had noticed Nazhan standing near Corporal Kok.

As Lance Corporal Ansari and a few other officers carried Corporal Kok away from the watch room and to the pump well, he noticed Corporal Kok “wriggling” his body, which he interpreted as resistance.

STATEMENT-TAKING

Two investigation officers who took Chong’s police statements also testified on Wednesday.

Deputy Superintendent Tan Lian Heng took a statement from Chong known as a “cautioned statement” on July 24, 2018, the day before he was charged in court.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sheryl Yeo read it out: “I only knew that the group of officers are bringing Kok to the well when I saw them already gathering at the well. I acknowledge that I failed my duty as a supervisor to stop them from continuing the activity of getting Kok into the well.”

She also read out two other statements from Chong, taken on May 15 and May 25, 2018 — shortly after the incident. They were taken by Assistant Superintendent (ASP) Mahathir Mohamad.

Part of the May 15 statement read: “When I saw officers at the well, I knew they were going to make Yuen Chin go into the well.”

Under cross-examination, the police officers said the statements were taken voluntarily, and Chong had signed off on them when they were read back to him.

However, Mr Wee argued that they were not recorded verbatim. For example, he asserted that a discussion had taken place on the word “make” in the statement.

“I’m putting to you that he did explain to you that it could mean a person would enter the well on his own, or it could also mean the person could be thrown involuntarily in the well. This was his explanation that was not in the recorded statement,” the lawyer told ASP Mahathir. 

In response, ASP Mahathir said: “I would have written it down. I disagree." 

The trial continues on Thursday.

Prosecutors said they will call as a witness Staff Sergeant Adighazali Suhaimi, who has served one month in jail for deleting a video of Corporal Kok being pushed into the well.