Teen in online rant stays in remand

Amos Yee, whose online rants against Christianity have landed him in trouble with the law, will spend the entire weekend in remand after no one turned up to bail out the 16-year-old yesterday.

A spokesman for the Attorney- General's Chambers (AGC) yesterday made it clear that the only reason the teenager remains in remand is that no one has come forward to provide the bail.

During a pre-trial conference last Friday, District Judge Kessler Soh converted the $20,000 police bail that Yee had been on to court bail, requiring bail to be reposted. But his parents decided against posting bail, which meant the teenager had to be put in remand.

Yee was charged on March 31 with attacking Christianity, transmitting an obscene image and making an online video containing remarks about founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew that offended viewers. He agreed as a condition of his bail not to post anything online until his case is decided.

But last Tuesday, he asked for donations to fund legal fees on his blog and Facebook page. The blog post included links to the offensive videos and posts that led to him being charged in the first place.

But an AGC spokesman said: "Amos is remanded not because of breach of bail conditions but because there is no bailor."

It was added that potential bailors did not have to deposit the $20,000 with the court, but simply pledge that they are good for the money. They also need to show they can ensure Yee sticks to the bail conditions and shows up in court when required.

This article was first published on April 19, 2015.
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