Security officer to be charged for involvement in Ang Mo Kio fake bomb scare

A fake bomb that was left behind after a security drill at an industrial estate in January not only disrupted businesses, but has also landed a 46-year-old security officer in trouble with the law.

He forgot to dispose of the fake bomb at Block 32, Ang Mo Kio Industrial Estate 2, resulting in the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force being called to the scene later in the day. 

The man will be charged on Tuesday (April 9) for his involvement in the fake bomb scare, said a police statement released on Monday. 

The simulation exercise took place in the early hours of Jan 5. An Improvised Explosive Device was left behind, though the police later established it to be fake and of no security threat.

Police investigations found that the security officer, who was on the night shift from Jan 4 to Jan 5, was not present at the guardhouse when the drill was going on.

Security personnel who conducted the exercise called him at 4.30am to dispose of the fake bomb, but he forgot to do so.

The police statement said: "Poor management of the exercise resulted in the activation of actual police resources to the scene and more than 100 people were inconvenienced as they were prevented from entering the premises due to the ongoing checks."

The security officer also initially told police that he was only away from the guardhouse for a short while to buy food nearby, but CCTV footage showed he was absent for more than five hours while on duty.

He has also admitted to providing false entries in the guardhouse occurrence book to cover up his absence.

He will be charged for four offences, including causing harm under the Protection from Harassment Act, which carries a fine of up to $5,000, and absence from security officer duty without valid reasons, which carries a fine of up to $2,000 or an imprisonment term of up to three months, or both.

In its statement, the police said it treats all security threats seriously and will not hesitate to act against anyone who causes public alarm due to their negligence.

"Beyond the fear and inconvenience caused to other members of the public, it comes at a cost of public resources that have to be deployed to deal with the incident."

READ ALSO: 'Bomb' found in Ang Mo Kio industrial estate: Affected businesses unhappy over mismanagement of simulation exercise

bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com