Yishun death: Police advises public not to speculate about case
Police cordoning off an area on the sixth floor of Block 279 Yishun St 22. Photo: Lim Jia Qi/Channel NewsAsia
SINGAPORE — The police is advising the public to refrain from speculating about the case of a man found dead at Block 279, Yishun Street 22, warning that this could be subjudice and possibly affect the outcomes of court proceedings.
In a statement on Monday (July 11), which came after media reports claimed that the deceased used to stalk the suspect, the police revealed that the suspect’s mother had lodged four police reports against the deceased between April 2015 and March 2016, and the family had made “a number of 999 calls” whenever the deceased showed up at their flat.
The deceased, aged 26, was found dead at the block on Saturday (July 9) evening. A 20-year-old man was arrested in connection with the case, which has been classified as an unnatural death. The police did not state for what crime the suspect was arrested, but investigations are ongoing.
The suspect’s sister told reporters over the weekend that her brother knew the deceased, who had been “stalking” him.
The police said in their statement that the two men, both Singaporeans, had known each other for a few years, and of the four reports made against the deceased, three were for alleged nuisance caused by the deceased after he went looking for the suspect at the Yishun flat.
The fourth report was made on March 27 this year, in a case classified as outrage of modesty (of a female). For this, the police interviewed the suspect’s mother and also sent a letter to her on April 8, acknowledging an appeal made by them through their Member of Parliament K Shanmugam, who is also Home Affairs and Law Minister, and confirming that the matter was under investigation.
Separately in June last year, the deceased made a police report alleging that he had been assaulted by the accused near the Yishun block, although the deceased later indicated that he did not want to pursue the matter further.
Police said that they have been following up on all the reports, and parties on both sides had attended community court mediation proceedings between February and May.
Pending the court proceedings for the latest case, the police reminded the public not to speculate on how events may have happened. Once the facts are established in court and court proceedings are over, the public is free to comment on the case and the parties involved, they said.
