SINGAPORE – A teenager accused of licking a straw from a vending machine before putting it back has been allowed to leave Singapore for a school-related trip to the Philippines in May.
On April 29, a district court approved Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien’s application to leave the country to go to Manila for a “field experience”.
The trip is a requirement for him to graduate, said defence lawyer Kanthan Raghavendra from Kalidass Law Corporation.
The 18-year-old French national, who is a student at ESSEC Business School located at one-north, is expected to be away from May 2 to 25.
Among his conditions, he has to remain contactable by the investigating officer (IO).
Maximilien must also surrender his passport to the IO, or an officer acting under the latter’s direction, within 24 hours upon returning to Singapore.
An additional bail of $5,000 has to be provided and a school representative has agreed to be his bailor.
His case will be mentioned again in court on May 29.
On April 24, Maximilien was charged with committing mischief and being a public nuisance.
He allegedly committed the offences at Goldhill Centre in Thomson Road on or around March 12.
Maximilien is accused of licking a straw from an iJooz machine before he put it back into the straw dispenser.
He allegedly filmed himself performing the act and uploaded the clip on social media.
Court documents stated that iJooz, known for its vending machines that serve freshly squeezed orange juice, had to replace all 500 straws in the dispenser after the alleged incident.
The video surfaced online on March 12 and quickly went viral, sparking shock and concern among netizens.
For committing mischief, an offender can be jailed for up to two years, fined or both.
The punishment for being a public nuisance is a jail term of up to three months, a fine of up to $2,000 or both.
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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
