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SINGAPORE - She installed a CCTV camera to catch loan-sharks in the act, she claimed. But now, the Town Council has ordered her to remove the camera. 

43-year-old Celeste Leong claims that she had been receiving harrassment calls from loansharks since January 26 this year. The calls told them to return money which she claims her family never borrowed.

She stays with her husband, her 74-year-old mother and two sons at Blk 306, Hougang Ave 5. They have stayed there for four years. 

Loansharks called again on January 28. She and her husband then called the police, who advised them to install a CCTV camera.

She then requested the Town Council to install CCTV cameras, but her repeated calls to them were met with indifference. 

Shortly after, loansharks called again with more threatening messages. They said that worse things would happen to the family if they did not return the money.

That was when she took matters into her own hands and spent $1,000 to install her own CCTV camera.

To her surprise, she received notification from the Town Council the next day to remove the CCTV camera immediately.

Despite her explanations, the Town Council maintained that she was wrong.

Insufficient evidence to allow CCTV camera

Chinese newspaper Lianhe Wanbao reported the Town Council as saying that there was insufficient evidence to allow Ms Leong to install the CCTV camera.

In a letter to Ms Leong, the Town Council said that there was no loanshark harrassment evidence and that it was only her mere suspicion that there was.

The Council also said that the police was investigating. Without due cause, installing CCTV cameras were not allowed as it might infringe the public's privacy.

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