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SINGAPORE – Two women, ages 28 and 36, are under investigation by police for alleging on social media that people involved in a fatal incident at Orchard Towers received preferential treatment at sentencing because of their race.
Police said in a statement late Monday (November 2) that they had acted on two authorization orders from the Attorney General’s Office (AGC) to initiate investigations into the women for contempt of court by making such accusations in their publications in the social networks.
Investigations are ongoing.
On October 16, the AGC refuted the allegations in the social media posts and said it ordered the police to investigate them.
“The accusations of preferential treatment for different races are baseless and have the potential to upset racial harmony in Singapore, causing irreversible divisions in our communities,” the AGC had said at the time.
Of the seven people initially charged with the murder of Satheesh Noel Gobidass, 31, in Orchard Towers on July 2 last year, six have had their charges reduced.
The AGC said that the charges of the six people were reduced because it was determined that “they were not involved in causing the death of the deceased.”
One of the six, Chan Jiaxing, 27, received a conditional warning on the charge of fraternizing with a co-defendant.
Three others, Joel Tan Yun Sheng, Ang Da Yuan and Natalie Siow Yu Zhen, pleaded guilty and received prison terms ranging from four weeks to eight months. The remaining two, Tan Hong Sheng and Loo Boon Chong, have yet to be addressed.
The only man still facing the murder charge, Tan Sen Yang, has not been prosecuted.
Orchard Towers death: Chan Jia Xing receives a conditional warning
Orchard Towers death: Natalie Siow receives 5 months in jail
Orchard Towers death: Natalie Siow claims trial on one charge
Orchard Towers murder case: Duo reduces charges to assault
