Driver accused of taking photos, videos at Woodlands Checkpoint to plead guilty, unaware it was 'so serious'
Wong Jeo Wah said he intends to plead guilty and will not be hiring a lawyer.
by Koh Wan Ting · CNA · JoinSINGAPORE: A driver accused of taking photos and videos of an immigration officer at Woodlands Checkpoint said he intends to plead guilty and that he had not realised that the offence was "so serious".
Wong Jeo Wah, 37, returned to the State Courts on Monday (Aug 26), more than a week after he was first charged under the Infrastructure Protection Act.
The Singaporean faces one count of taking photos and videos without permission at a Woodlands Checkpoint departure lane counter at about 12.30pm on Aug 12.
It is an offence to take photos and videos within checkpoint premises - considered a protected area - without consent from the authorities.
At Monday's hearing, the prosecution applied for four weeks' adjournment to complete investigations and for a deputy public prosecutor's directions to be obtained, with a possibility for additional charges to be tendered.
Part of the investigations will include a forensic digital screening on Wong's phone.
According to court records, Wong, who appeared without a lawyer, told District Judge Lorraine Ho: "(I) did not realise that the offence was so serious that I was in remand."
He said that he intended to plead guilty and will not be engaging a lawyer.
Wong's case will return to court on Sep 23. He is on bail of S$10,000 (US$7,686).
A day after the incident at Woodlands Checkpoint, photos and videos of the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officer, along with his name, were uploaded to Facebook group Complaint Singapore. The post alleged that the officer was rude.
ICA said in a Facebook post on Aug 15 that the driver had made "uncalled for remarks" when the officer instructed him to remove a sunshade from the right passenger window during immigration clearance.
The driver was referred to the duty office and given a stern warning after he admitted to taking photos and videos on checkpoint premises, ICA said. He had agreed to delete them.
However, they were uploaded online and ICA referred the case to the police.
If convicted, Wong can be jailed up to two years, fined up to S$20,000, or both.
Sign up for our newsletters
Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app