SINGAPORE, June 5 — A 38-year-old man, who drew criticisms for his Facebook post that seemingly gloated about the death of a Traffic Police officer, has been charged with shoplifting.
Thomas Chua Poh Heng was charged this morning with one count of theft of a 100ml of Must de Cartier perfume at Mustafa Centre along Syed Alwi Road yesterday morning.
He will be remanded at the Institute of Mental Health for two weeks. His next court appearance is on June 19.
The police said the shopping centre’s in-house security officers had detained Chua outside the store with an unpaid item before handing him over to the police.
He was arrested by the police at 5:37am yesterday.
He is also under investigation for three other cases lodged against him since January.
Chua drew flak over the weekend for a Facebook post — which has since been taken down — about Staff Sergeant Nadzrie Matin, who was killed in the line of duty after an accident involving a van along Serangoon Road last Thursday.
His remarks were also criticised by Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, who posted screen captures of Chua’s post and wrote: “People like Thomas are sick in the head. No decency or any sense of right and wrong.
“You wonder what human decency people like Thomas have - to be so self-centred, smug and making nasty remarks about an officer who died doing his duty. While there is a completely distraught wife, grieving parents and family, and teammates who are crying,” said Shanmugam.
However, in response to media queries, a police spokesperson told TODAY that authorities “will remain professional and objective in our dealings with Mr Thomas Chua,” despite his “hurtful and unfair remarks not only to our officers but to (SSG Nadzrie’s) family and friends”.
If convicted of theft in-dwelling, Chua can be jailed up to seven years and fined. — TODAY
