Maximum S$1,000 fine for man who caused security scare at Hougang MRT Station
By Siau Ming En
Published: 11:00 AM, June 9, 2017
Updated: 12:08 PM, June 9, 2017
SINGAPORE – A district court imposed the maximum S$1,000 fine on a 39-year-old construction worker on Friday (June 9) after he left a blue suitcase unattended on the platform of Hougang MRT Station, triggering a security scare.
Wang Jianpo, a China national, was charged with causing public nuisance six weeks after the incident on April 2, where the station was closed for more than an hour as the authorities investigated the suitcase.
The court heard that Wang had collected the suitcase from a friend at Buangkok Crescent earlier that day before making his way to Hougang MRT station to take the train to Chinatown to run a few errands.
He decided to place the suitcase unattended against the wall of the train platform before taking the train down to Chinatown MRT station at about 2.10pm.
About 15 minutes later, a Chinese couple spotted the suitcase and alerted the station staff, who in turn, reported the matter to the operations control centre of the North-East Line.
The line’s operator SBS Transit subsequently made the call to evacuate and shut the station for security reasons. Trains continued to run on the line but bypassed Hougang station.
Commuters were told to avoid the station while the authorities investigated the security incident. The station only re-opened some 85 minutes later at 4.03pm.
Wang was arrested at about 4.40pm after officers spotted him at the train platform. He had returned to Hougang MRT station to retrieve his suitcase, which contained household items, after completing his errands.
By then, 36 trains had bypassed Hougang MRT station and 29 free passing bus services were deployed. About 663 commuters were evacuated from the station and some 3,521 commuters were affected by the incident.
In urging the court to impose the maximum fine of S$1,000, Deputy Public Prosecutor Daphne Lim said this case was one of the most serious instances of public nuisance.
continue reading here :
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore...ng-mrt-station