Man, 71, charged over CPF graffiti

Man, 71, charged over CPF graffiti

A 71-year-old man who allegedly defaced bus stops with messages in apparent support of blogger Roy Ngerng was charged with vandalism yesterday.

Loh Thiam Hock allegedly wrote phrases such as "We support CPF Blogger", "Return our CPF Money" and "Above 65 years Bal $5000 in M/AC" with a black marker on the advertisement boards of six bus stops around the Clarke Quay area on Thursday last week.

The messages appeared to back Mr Ngerng, 33, who in a May 15 blog post alleged that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had misappropriated CPF savings.

Yesterday, Mr Lee commenced legal proceedings on a defamation suit against the health-care worker. A writ of summons was sent by his lawyer, Senior Counsel Davinder Singh, to Mr Ngerng's lawyer M. Ravi yesterday.

Loh was arrested on Tuesday after police looked through closed-circuit television footage. He faces six counts of vandalism.

The slim and bespectacled man was remanded in the Institute of Mental Health for psychiatric evaluation and will next appear in court on June 12.

He could be jailed for up to three years or fined up to $2,000 for each of the charges, if convicted.

However, as Loh is above 50, he will not be caned if convicted.

In an unrelated act of vandalism a few weeks ago, profanities directed at the ruling party and the police were spray-painted on the rooftop of a Toa Payoh Housing Board block.

Five teens were arrested and charged over their involvement in that incident.

A train at SMRT's Bishan depot was also reportedly defaced on May 5.

pohian@sph.com.sg


This article was first published on May 30, 2014.
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