Earlier in November 2017, police in Singapore had to temporarily close off Penang Road near the Istana Park when an item resembling a hand grenade was found placed next to a fire hydrant.
However, it was soon discovered that the item was just a toy grenade. According to TODAY Online, a cleaner on duty at the time was found responsible for this as he wanted to see people’s reactions. Elankovan Mariamuthu, who is now a senior machine operator, was reportedly cleaning Istana Park and its surrounding areas at 7am on 3rd November 2017.
Source: TODAY Online
While he was cleaning, Mariamuthu found a toy grenade lying on its side. He used a pair of tongs to keep the grenade upright and left it next to a fire hydrant. Later that same day at around 2pm, two motorists noticed the toy grenade next to the fire hydrant and reported it to the police.
39 police officers and 8 members of the Singapore Armed Forces personnel from the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosive Defence Group were then deployed at the scene to assess the danger of the item and determine if it was a threat to public safety. Three hours later, authorities confirmed that it was a toy grenade and reopened the area to the public.
The cleaner was found positioning the toy grenade via CCTV footage, and he later admitted to committing the act.
Mariamuthu was initially charged under the United Nations Act with intending to induce a false belief that the toy grenade was harmful to the public and would cause damage to its surrounding area.
However, he was just recently charged under the Protection from Harassment Act for causing alarm, to which he pleaded guilty. On Wednesday (24th July 2019), Mariamuthu was punished with a fine of SGD$4,500 (approx RM13,580).
Source: Channel NewsAsia
During his sentencing, District Judge May Mesenas told Mariamuthu,
“This is a lesson learned for you that you should not take this lightly… after this incident, look at what happened, the public resources that had to be expended.”
“In today’s security climate, the authorities always take every threat seriously… especially since it occurred in an area considered sensitive,” Deputy Public Prosecutor Thiagesh Sukumaran added.
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