Three fined over photos of fatal Bionix accident
Two full-time national servicemen (NSFs) with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), who were at the scene of last year's fatal training accident between a Bionix infantry fighting vehicle and a Land Rover, snapped pictures of the tragedy and unlawfully disseminated them via WhatsApp.
Another two men shared the pictures with others.
Yesterday, Muhammad Arif Azman, 22, who held the rank of corporal in the SCDF, was fined $3,000 after pleading guilty to two charges under the Official Secrets Act (OSA).
Brandon Tan Jien Jet, 21 and Muhammad Zaki Haji Mokhtar, 24, were each fined $1,500.
They had pleaded guilty to one charge under the OSA.
Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Corporal First Class Liu Kai, 22, was killed in the accident on Nov 3 last year.
A transport operator from SAF's Transport Hub West, he died after the Bionix mounted a Land Rover that he was driving at the Murai Urban Training Facility. The court heard that Tan was an SCDF NSF holding the rank of Sergeant 1 while Zaki had already completed his NS at the time.
The OSA-related cases involving two other men, who were then doing their national service with SCDF, are still pending.
The duo are Mohamad Haikal Mohd Zainal Abiddin and Thng Yu Xuan, both aged 21.
COMPLETED NS
All five men, who were attached to Jurong Fire Station, have since completed their NS.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Angela Ang told the court yesterday that Arif, Haikal and Thng were sent to the accident site around 10.20am to help extricate CFC Liu.
"Prior to assisting his teammates in the extrication, Arif used his personal mobile phone to take two photographs of the scene, both of which captured the Bionix and the Land Rover crushed beneath it...
"Haikal similarly used his personal mobile phone and took five photographs of the scene... None of the five photographs show the deceased."
Separately, on Oct 25, an SAF officer was charged in court over CFC Liu's death.
Regular serviceman Ong Lin Jie, 28, a captain, was charged with performing a rash act causing death.
Ong's pre-trial conference will be held on Dec 23.
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