SINGAPORE: Amos Yee Pang Sang was offered bail of S$10,000 (US$7,800) on Thursday (Mar 26), following the completion of preliminary investigations.
Yee, 27, had his first court reappearance since he was charged with offences under the Enlistment Act about a week ago.
He appeared via videolink in the State Courts wearing a white shirt and sporting long hair.
The prosecution, represented by Deputy Public Prosecutor Tay Jia En asked for Yee to be offered bail along with several conditions.
When asked if he intended to plead guilty, Yee said he would like to think about the matter.
Yee was arrested by Central Manpower Base Enlistment Inspectors at Changi Airport on Mar 20, after he was deported from the United States.
He was charged in the State Courts the same day with three charges related to his national service obligations.
These are for failing to report for pre-enlistment medical screening for more than nine years, from Apr 26, 2016, to Mar 19, 2026.
Yee also stands accused of leaving Singapore without valid exit permits over two periods. These span from Dec 13, 2015, to Apr 19, 2016, and from Dec 15, 2016 to Mar 19, 2026.
Yee left Singapore for the United States in 2016 after several run-ins with the law.
In 2015, Yee, then 16, was jailed in Singapore for wounding religious feelings by making remarks about Christians.
He was jailed again and fined about a year later for making remarks about Christians and Muslims.
Yee was granted asylum by the US in 2017, but fell foul of the law for possession of child pornography and grooming a minor in October 2020.
He was sentenced to six years' jail after pleading guilty in the US in December 2021.
Halfway through his sentence, he was granted parole but was taken back into custody soon after for violating parole conditions.
In November last year, Yee was detained by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement after he was released on parole from the Danville Correctional Center in Illinois.
He was then deported to Singapore.
Under the Enlistment Act, NS defaulters could be jailed for up to three years and/or fined up to S$10,000 upon conviction.
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Yee, 27, had his first court reappearance since he was charged with offences under the Enlistment Act about a week ago.
He appeared via videolink in the State Courts wearing a white shirt and sporting long hair.
The prosecution, represented by Deputy Public Prosecutor Tay Jia En asked for Yee to be offered bail along with several conditions.
When asked if he intended to plead guilty, Yee said he would like to think about the matter.
Yee was arrested by Central Manpower Base Enlistment Inspectors at Changi Airport on Mar 20, after he was deported from the United States.
He was charged in the State Courts the same day with three charges related to his national service obligations.
These are for failing to report for pre-enlistment medical screening for more than nine years, from Apr 26, 2016, to Mar 19, 2026.
Yee also stands accused of leaving Singapore without valid exit permits over two periods. These span from Dec 13, 2015, to Apr 19, 2016, and from Dec 15, 2016 to Mar 19, 2026.
Yee left Singapore for the United States in 2016 after several run-ins with the law.
In 2015, Yee, then 16, was jailed in Singapore for wounding religious feelings by making remarks about Christians.
He was jailed again and fined about a year later for making remarks about Christians and Muslims.
Yee was granted asylum by the US in 2017, but fell foul of the law for possession of child pornography and grooming a minor in October 2020.
He was sentenced to six years' jail after pleading guilty in the US in December 2021.
Halfway through his sentence, he was granted parole but was taken back into custody soon after for violating parole conditions.
In November last year, Yee was detained by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement after he was released on parole from the Danville Correctional Center in Illinois.
He was then deported to Singapore.
Under the Enlistment Act, NS defaulters could be jailed for up to three years and/or fined up to S$10,000 upon conviction.
Continue reading...