SMRT graffiti vandal -- lighten up, Singapore! Or not...
The problem definitely is not that the graffiti was badly created. It's nice. In fact, the Swiss man should have charged SMRT for a fee because of the artwork did brighten up the train. Heh.A Swiss man has been arrested in Singapore on suspicion of breaking into a high-security subway depot and spray-painting graffiti on a train, an offence punishable by caning, police said Friday.
"We confirm that a 33-year-old Swiss male national has been arrested in relation to the case," a spokesman for the Singapore Police Force told AFP.
No further details were available pending the investigation into the incident, which took place in May.
The Swiss embassy in Singapore had no immediate comment.
Subway operator SMRT said it was helping police with the investigation, but gave no further information.
The train has been scrubbed clean but a clip on video-sharing site Youtube -- still visible at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CV4JYKBEQo -- shows the vandalised train as it left a suburban station.
The Straits Times newspaper reported Friday that the suspect was believed to have cut his way into the depot, a restricted zone surrounded by fences topped with barbed wire.
Singapore, a close US ally, considers itself a prime target of Southeast Asian extremists and lists the train system among possible points of attack, along with the airport and US-linked establishments.
Vandalism is punishable in Singapore by three to eight strokes of the cane as well as jail terms of up to three years and a maximum fine of 2,000 Singapore dollars (1,424 US).
An American teenager, Michael Fay, garnered global headlines in 1994 when he was jailed and caned in Singapore after he was found guilty of vandalising several cars. Fay was caned despite a US appeal for clemency.
From My Sinchew, "Swiss man faces caning over Singapore graffiti".AN MRT train parked in a depot was hit with garish graffiti in what amounted to a serious security breach in a restricted area here.
The vandal apparently sneaked into the sprawling depot at Changi, despite an array of barriers, including fences topped with barbed wire.
Once inside, he spray-painted elaborate graffiti on one side of a train, across one carriage.
From Asiaone, "Graffiti vandal breaches security at MRT depot".
Update on 05/06: So it's really not a publicity gimmick. The police is handling the case & they are annoyed that the report only came 2 days after the artistic crime happened.THE tale of the security breach at an MRT depot here took several twists yesterday: Police were told of it only two days after it occurred, and the Swiss national who left his mark on a train might not have been working alone.
In a statement last night, police said the breach took place on the night of May 16 or early the next morning.
It added that police were informed only on May 19, at 7.15pm.
The Straits Times reported yesterday that a YouTube video of the incident was posted online on May 18.
That timeline of events meant the graffiti on the train, and the breach, went unnoticed for close to 48 hours.
In its statement yesterday, police said the 33-year-old Swiss national who was arrested on May 25 will be hauled to court today to face charges of vandalism and trespass.
It did not say why there was a time lapse between the breach and the police report.
From Straits Times, "More twists to the MRT tale".
And the suspect is also named!! Yes, finally!!A Swiss business consultant was charged in court Saturday with breaking into a Singapore MRT depot and spray-painting graffiti on a train.
Oliver Fricker, 32, was accused of committing trespass and vandalism in mid-May, and a district judge who described him as a flight risk set bail at $100,000. His passport was also impounded.
A worried-looking Fricker told the judge he needed a lawyer and asked that bail be lowered to US$40,000.
But the judge cut him short and rejected the bail request, stressing the seriousness of the offence.
The official charge sheet said Fricker, who was arrested on May 25, was with a Briton identified as Lloyd Dane Alexander when he broke into the suburban depot, a restricted zone surrounded by fences topped with barbed wire.
Sources familiar with the case told AFP that Alexander was in Singapore on a tourist visa and left before a police report was filed.
The charge sheet said Fricker and Alexander vandalised public property when they cut through a fence and spray-painted two carriages.
A police spokesman described Fricker as a company consultant but further details on him were not available from Singapore officials or Swiss diplomats.
A man named Oliver Fricker is listed in the business networking website Xing as a senior consultant in Singapore working with a Zurich-based information technology firm specialising in the financial sector.
An American teenager, Michael Fay, garnered global headlines in 1994 when he was jailed and caned in Singapore after he was found guilty of vandalising several cars. Fay was caned despite a US appeal for clemency.
Prosecutors in the train vandalism case, arguing for the high bail amount, said Fricker had been due to leave for Switzerland two days after his arrest.
The break-in, believed to have taken place before dawn on May 17, was not immediately detected and the train plied its route in full view of commuters, one of whom filmed it and posted a clip on video-sharing site Youtube.
From Asiaone, "Swiss consultant charged for vandalising train".
Update on 07/06: I can't believe what I read!! How can the suspect be released with merely a S$100,000 bail?! Yes, the amount may seem a lot. It's more than enough to repaint the vandalised SMRT train. But it's definitely insufficient to repair the image of the company. And with the looming thought that there would be canes introducing to the culprit's ass, I won't be surprised if he is to escape from Singapore even without his passport. Mas Selamat did it, so why can't Oliver Fricker?The Swiss national arrested for allegedly vandalising a Singapore metro train with spray paint has been released on a S$100,000 bail.
It is believed that the passport of 33-year-old Oliver Fricker is still impounded to prevent him from leaving the country.
Fricker was charged in court on Saturday for vandalising an MRT train by spraying graffiti on it and damaging public property by cutting a wired fence.
The incident was said to have taken place between the late night of May 16 and the early hours of May 17 at the Changi Depot.
Fricker is said to have had an accomplice - British citizen Lloyd Dane Alexander. The Briton is believed to have left Singapore.
Vandalism is punishable by up to three years' jail or a maximum fine of S$2,000, plus three to eight strokes of the cane.
Fricker is scheduled to appear in court again on June 21.
From Channel NewsAsia, "Swiss man charged with vandalising train released on bail".
1 comments:
Look....this SMRT has been a pain in the ass for one of my eurasian passenger friend/buddy of mine. How???. Here goes, for last 10 yrs (yeaaah 10!)or so, ths buddy of mine been putting up with the perpetual shenanigans of a bunch of (first handful then couple dozen!-spread this way as time went by)- malay muslim SMRT station staff who got some kind of kick out of taking the piss out of our eurasian but caucasian looking buddy of ours-but SMRT Corp(from what I understand 'did close to nothing for that whole period' in dealing with their station troublemakers-despite buddy's continuous/exhaustive efforts to engage SMRT Corp on matter-resolution/or atleast mitigation of these problems which were causing lots of unecessary anguish,anxiety and social embarassment to our eurasian members daily MRT commute. He had started taking sedatives to numb him to all these he confided. What a bunch of terrorist/social jihadists mentality malay station staff culture they have-all this happening right under noses/and later w full knowledge of their corporate officers- and yet this damm company allowed this silent daily torture/harassment to go on whenerver they see our poor buddy come into view at these stations-and then their pattern of subtle/selective racist tauntingand other social embarassment antics start. This buddy of ours is on timid side and not litigious as far as we know or else he would have seeked legal recourse ages ago and so these people probably took advantage of situation-and went on wearing our buddy out physically, mentally you name it-with the freaking acquictscence of SMRT management. This buddy of ours took matters into his own hands too and landed into trouble wih law because he had grown to too sick and tired of stonewalling he was getting from his SMRT 'case handlers'-very people tasked with helping him was making things even worst for him at these stations.
So, as you can see, how can one possible sympathise with a little creative artwork on their train by our swiss rembrandt. In light of whats happened to our good eurasian pal/member-which I've taken liberty to bring out into open once and for all-hate to say this but...wish the vandal should have gone further-much further withhis antics as compensation for their malay station staff antics againts my hapless eurasian member for years on end.In fact, if it were me, may be I'd progress to a little 'scribbling' 'artwork'on the faces of these station staff as well.
SHAME on you SMRT for whats happened to my friend-for being complicit to whole thing because you didn't have the courage to deal with your bunch of 'social jihadist' mentality malay station staff. And SHAME on you-in this instance-for letting your guard down to such extent our foreign friend could have breached security long/comfortably enough to conduct one session of night drawing class -right under your distracted noses.
Train your train staff not to get overly distracted by their daytime trainspotting games then may be at night they can do better job guarding your more important interest. All your painfully embrassing lapses just shows where you and your people hve been investing their vigilance/attention-seems like all the wrong places ha ha-and too free at that!!!
SO...KUDDOS TO OUR SWISS HERO-HE HAS DONE MANY OF OUR EURASIANS AGAINTS JIHADIST MENTALITY MEMBERS PROUD. IT TOOK A FOREIGNER-SEE THAT.
(Note: Please, I am not instigating/condoning any acts of crime againts SMRT/state-I am merely stating my heartfelt opinion inlight of my pals MRT troubles)
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