Both men plead guilty to joining protest in March against rising prices
By Jeremy Au Yong
TWO of the 19 people charged with taking part in an illegal assembly in March were fined yesterday after they pleaded guilty.
The group are charged with taking part in an illegal assembly outside Parliament House on March 15, when they protested against rising prices.
About the case
THE 19 people are charged with holding an illegal assembly on the driveway to the main entrance of Parliament House on March 15.
They are said to have delivered speeches, shouted slogans and held placards during their rally.
... more
They then began a march that the police stopped outside Funan DigitaLife Mall, a nearby building in North Bridge Road.
Yesterday, blogger Ng E-Jay, 31, was fined $600 after he admitted to the first charge of illegal assembly. The second charge was taken into consideration.
Separately, Jeffrey George, assistant treasurer of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), was fined $600 for each of his two charges.
Ng told The Straits Times he had decided not to claim trial just the day before.
'I don't want to waste time arguing in court,' he said.
As for George, the 44-year-old offshore driller said he had no choice as he had to go to an oil rig for work. He was scheduled to be there last night.
He made several applications throughout the day yesterday to have his case tried separately or for the trial to be adjourned.
District Judge Chia Wee Kiat turned down his requests as the trial date had been set more than a month ago.
Hence, while Ng had made his plea first thing in the morning, George's guilty plea was the last order of business for the day, taking place after 7pm.
The two pleas were sandwiched between a string of court proceedings that were often repetitive owing to the sheer number of defendants.
The process of reading the charges to the defendants and registering their pleas took one hour and 45 minutes.
It will be played out repeatedly throughout the two-week trial.
That is because each defendant can cross-examine each witness that is called. Only three of the remaining 17 on trial are represented by lawyers.
Extra chairs had to be set up in the courtroom to accommodate the group that trooped in at 9.30am yesterday.
Many in the group, which includes SDP chief Chee Soon Juan and his sister Siok Chin, had come wearing red, the same colour they wore during the protest.
The public gallery was filled with about 20 people, including supporters of the SDP.
Amid the noise and commotion as the defendants took their seats before proceedings started, one of them, blogger Yap Keng Ho, 45, remarked to the rest: 'This is the largest pasar malam in the history of Singapore.'
During the proceedings, several who were charged rose to ask questions or make applications.
There were requests for copies of video clips taken by the police of the March15 event (copies will be given); one asked if the police video clips were edited (it was premature to suggest it, said the judge); and another even asked for the court to observe a minute's silence for the late opposition politician and lawyer J.B. Jeyaretnam (the judge did not respond). He was to have represented several of them.
The trial continues today.
[email protected]
By Jeremy Au Yong
TWO of the 19 people charged with taking part in an illegal assembly in March were fined yesterday after they pleaded guilty.
The group are charged with taking part in an illegal assembly outside Parliament House on March 15, when they protested against rising prices.
About the case
THE 19 people are charged with holding an illegal assembly on the driveway to the main entrance of Parliament House on March 15.
They are said to have delivered speeches, shouted slogans and held placards during their rally.
... more
They then began a march that the police stopped outside Funan DigitaLife Mall, a nearby building in North Bridge Road.
Yesterday, blogger Ng E-Jay, 31, was fined $600 after he admitted to the first charge of illegal assembly. The second charge was taken into consideration.
Separately, Jeffrey George, assistant treasurer of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), was fined $600 for each of his two charges.
Ng told The Straits Times he had decided not to claim trial just the day before.
'I don't want to waste time arguing in court,' he said.
As for George, the 44-year-old offshore driller said he had no choice as he had to go to an oil rig for work. He was scheduled to be there last night.
He made several applications throughout the day yesterday to have his case tried separately or for the trial to be adjourned.
District Judge Chia Wee Kiat turned down his requests as the trial date had been set more than a month ago.
Hence, while Ng had made his plea first thing in the morning, George's guilty plea was the last order of business for the day, taking place after 7pm.
The two pleas were sandwiched between a string of court proceedings that were often repetitive owing to the sheer number of defendants.
The process of reading the charges to the defendants and registering their pleas took one hour and 45 minutes.
It will be played out repeatedly throughout the two-week trial.
That is because each defendant can cross-examine each witness that is called. Only three of the remaining 17 on trial are represented by lawyers.
Extra chairs had to be set up in the courtroom to accommodate the group that trooped in at 9.30am yesterday.
Many in the group, which includes SDP chief Chee Soon Juan and his sister Siok Chin, had come wearing red, the same colour they wore during the protest.
The public gallery was filled with about 20 people, including supporters of the SDP.
Amid the noise and commotion as the defendants took their seats before proceedings started, one of them, blogger Yap Keng Ho, 45, remarked to the rest: 'This is the largest pasar malam in the history of Singapore.'
During the proceedings, several who were charged rose to ask questions or make applications.
There were requests for copies of video clips taken by the police of the March15 event (copies will be given); one asked if the police video clips were edited (it was premature to suggest it, said the judge); and another even asked for the court to observe a minute's silence for the late opposition politician and lawyer J.B. Jeyaretnam (the judge did not respond). He was to have represented several of them.
The trial continues today.
[email protected]
