SINGAPORE — A driver who allegedly took photos and videos of an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officer at Woodlands Checkpoint has been charged.
Singaporean Wong Jeo Wah, 37, was charged on Aug 17 with one count of taking photos of a protected area without permission from the authorities, under the Infrastructure Protection Act.
He may face an additional charge under the Protection from Harassment Act. No further details were given about the charge.
Wong is said to have committed the offence on Aug 12 at about 12.30pm at a departure lane counter of Woodlands Checkpoint.
A day later, photos and videos of the officer were uploaded to Facebook group Complaint Singapore. It is not stated in court documents if Wong had uploaded the content.
The Facebook user had named the officer and the counter he was working at, and made negative comments about an exchange with the officer.
ICA said in a Facebook post on Aug 15 that it was aware of the social media posts that alleged that the officer had been rude to the driver who was clearing immigration.
"Our investigations show that the driver made uncalled-for remarks when our officer instructed him to remove the right passenger window sunshade during departure immigration clearance," said ICA.
The agency added that the driver then took photos and videos of the officer, who was reporting the incident to his supervisors.
The driver was referred to the duty office, where he was given a stern warning after admitting to taking photos and videos within the checkpoint premises and agreeing to delete them.
However, the photos and videos were later uploaded online.
Wong is out on $10,000 bail. His case will be heard again on Aug 26.
If convicted, Wong could be fined up to $20,000, jailed for up to two years, or both.
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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
