SINGAPORE: Former Reform Party chairman Charles Yeo Yao Hui was handed criminal charges in court on Wednesday (Jan 19) over social media posts that allegedly harassed a police officer and wounded the religious feelings of Christians.
Yeo, 31, received three counts under the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA) of posting Instagram Stories with threatening, abusive and insulting remarks.
He was also charged with three counts of making or attempting to make remarks to wound the religious feelings of the Christian community.
The lawyer was arrested last week for his suspected involvement in criminal breach of trust and forgery offences after reports were lodged against Whitefield Law Corporation.
No such charges were tendered against him in court on Wednesday.
If convicted under POHA, Yeo can be jailed for up to a year, fined up to S$5,000, or both per charge.
If found guilty of deliberately wounding the religious feelings of any person, he can be jailed for up to three years, fined, or both per charge.
Yeo said after his arrest for suspected criminal breach of trust that "the charges are entirely trumped up and false", alleging that the police had acted "unprofessionally".
The police refuted his allegations and said that the investigations against Yeo were not politically motivated. The police said they received several reports involving four clients of Whitefield Law Corporation alleging forgery or criminal breach of trust.
Yeo was part of a Reform Party team that contested in Ang Mo Kio GRC in the 2020 General Election against a five-member team led by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
After the news broke of Yeo's arrest, the party said it accepted Yeo's offer to step aside as chairman until the matter is resolved. Ms Yasmine Valentina was appointed acting chair of the party.
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Yeo, 31, received three counts under the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA) of posting Instagram Stories with threatening, abusive and insulting remarks.
He was also charged with three counts of making or attempting to make remarks to wound the religious feelings of the Christian community.
The lawyer was arrested last week for his suspected involvement in criminal breach of trust and forgery offences after reports were lodged against Whitefield Law Corporation.
No such charges were tendered against him in court on Wednesday.
If convicted under POHA, Yeo can be jailed for up to a year, fined up to S$5,000, or both per charge.
If found guilty of deliberately wounding the religious feelings of any person, he can be jailed for up to three years, fined, or both per charge.
Yeo said after his arrest for suspected criminal breach of trust that "the charges are entirely trumped up and false", alleging that the police had acted "unprofessionally".
The police refuted his allegations and said that the investigations against Yeo were not politically motivated. The police said they received several reports involving four clients of Whitefield Law Corporation alleging forgery or criminal breach of trust.
Yeo was part of a Reform Party team that contested in Ang Mo Kio GRC in the 2020 General Election against a five-member team led by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
After the news broke of Yeo's arrest, the party said it accepted Yeo's offer to step aside as chairman until the matter is resolved. Ms Yasmine Valentina was appointed acting chair of the party.
Continue reading...